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 spokespersons and representatives of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Food Programme, the International Organization for Migration, UN Women, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Refugee Agency, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
Three years of war in Sudan
Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), stated that the war in Sudan had been raging for three years now, and Sudan remained the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. On that occasion, the International Sudan Conference would be held in Berlin on 15 April. The Secretary-General reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian access, and safe passage for people who wanted to flee.
Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), read a statement by Tom Fletcher, the UN Humanitarian Chief, who said that nearly 34 million people –almost two out of every three people in the country – needed humanitarian support. Hunger was tightening its grip as the lean season closed in. Hundreds of thousands of children were acutely malnourished, with millions being deprived of an education. Women and girls were facing systemic and brutal sexual violence. In the first three months of this year, nearly 700 civilians had been reportedly killed in drone strikes. Millions had been driven from their homes across Sudan and beyond its borders, with entire communities emptied and families uprooted time and again. The risk of wider regional instability was high. In 2025, said Mr. Fletcher in his statement, humanitarians had reached 17 million people with vital support. This year, humanitarians aimed to support 20 million, but the response was critically underfunded. Action was needed now to stop the violence, protect civilians, ensure access to communities in greatest danger, and fund the response.
Ross Smith, World Food Programme (WFP) Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response, speaking from Rome, stated that three years since the civil war had erupted in Sudan, the crisis continued to deepen without an end in sight. Millions of Sudanese were trapped in a struggle to secure safety and dignity. Children were going hungry, communities were being uprooted, violence and displacement were growing. WFP teams were operating amidst shifting frontlines and constant insecurity. Each month this year, WFP had reached 3.5 million people across the country, two-thirds of whom were in the Darfurs and the Kordofans. All parties to the conflict had to allow humanitarian aid to move freely and safely, and the international community to continue providing financial support. The crisis in Sudan did not exist in isolation, but was compounded by the overall global divisions, and affected by the conflict in the Middle East, which had led to increased fuel, food, and fertilizer prices, pushing more people to hunger. Media attention, diplomacy, and funding did not keep pace with the conflict in Sudan. Global crises elsewhere should not eclipse the suffering of the millions of Sudanese, stressed Mr. Smith.
Anna Mutavati UN Women Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, speaking from Berlin, said that this was ultimately a war on women and girls. Widespread killings, mass displacement, and, most definingly, the use of sexual violence, had been embedded in the blueprint of Sudan's war. These atrocities had been compounded by blockades and continued instability, and they were being carried out with widespread impunity. More than 17 million women and girls needed humanitarian assistance this year; more than 4.3 million women and girls remained displaced inside the country. There was no safety in displacement, which exposed women and girls to rape, violence and killing, as they were trying to reach safety, food, water and sanitation. The number of women and girls who needed support for gender-based violence had quadrupled since the start of the war, showed new gender alert published by UN Women. Sexual violence was being used to inflict terror on women and girls. For many women and girls, there was no access to food, shelter or healthcare because of active fighting, informed Ms. Mutavati. Women reported going without food for days at a time. Ms. Mutavati stressed that women remained a key element in helping survivors and assisting those in need, mediating disputes, countering hate speech and helping with humanitarian access. Most women organizations faced funding shortages, she warned. Despite their leadership, Sudanese women remained largely excluded from formal peace processes and negotiations. It should be clear that there could be no recovery without their full inclusion. UN Women called for protection of women and girls, full accountability, women’s full participation in peace processes, and adequate funding.
Eva Hinds, Chief of Communication for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Sudan, connecting from Port Sudan, said that children in Sudan continued to bear the heaviest brunt of the conflict, with the reality growing darker by the hour. Hundreds of children had been reported killed or injured this year, mostly in the Darfurs and the Kordofans. Attacks were becoming increasingly indiscriminate, with drones killing and wounding boys and girls everywhere, in places that should never be targets. More than 5,700 grave violations against children had been recorded by the UN since the beginning of the war. Many attacks on children went unreported and unverified, she warned. More than five million children had been forced to flee over the past three years, many of them multiple times. Humanitarian access remained a major challenge, with big parts of the country still cut off because of fighting and damaged infrastructure, leaving many vulnerable children out of reach. Years of conflict and repeated displacement had disrupted livelihoods. This year alone, 4.2 million children were expected to suffer from malnutrition, of whom over 800,000 believed to suffer from acute malnutrition. UNICEF and partners continued to deliver relief whenever possible. Through its 2026 Humanitarian Action for Children appeal, UNICEF sought USD 962.9 million to reach 13.8 million people, including 7.9 million children. Some 16 percent of this funding had been received, forcing UNICEF to scale back, doing less, which would have deadly consequences for children. The cost of failure was being paid by children.
Zoe Brennan, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), stated that the scale and complexity of population movements in Sudan today was immense. Conflict, environmental shocks and operational constraints were placing extraordinary pressure on humanitarian systems. Nearly nine million people remain displaced across Sudan. Large-scale displacement was continuing in parts of Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile State, where insecurity persisted. Significant return movements, particularly to Khartoum, were also being observed: almost four million people had begun returning to their communities. But these returns are rarely simple. When they returned, they found broken water systems, destruction, and a lack of basic shelter and healthcare. Millions more continued to seek refuge in nearby countries. Chad and South Sudan alone had each recorded nearly 1.3 million arrivals. What was required now, stressed Ms. Brennan, was sustained attention, coordinated action and the resources necessary to ensure that humanitarian actors could continue delivering life-saving assistance to those who needed it most. The people of Sudan deserved a better future.
James Reynolds, deputy regional director for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Africa, stated that Sudan was the most serious humanitarian crisis today. Drones and new technologies were deepening suffering and disrupting humanitarian work. In addition to the plight of the three years of conflict, the people were now experiencing increased prices because of the conflict in the Middle East. The number of missing person cases continued to rise, warned Mr. Reynolds: more than 11,000 cases had been recorded by the ICRC, only a fraction of a real, full number. The identification of bodies remained a challenge. Families had the right to know about the whereabouts of their loved ones. There had to be a humanitarian space to discuss issues like this. ICRC was publishing a report today, Cost of Inaction, which focused on three areas where civilian protection was urgently needed and concrete action can be taken: safeguarding the critical infrastructure needed for essential services; helping people who have been separated from their loved ones, gone missing or been detained, while ensuring the dead are treated with dignity; and preventing and responding to sexual violence. In each of these areas, ICRC was addressing immediate humanitarian concerns while seeking to make a lasting impact for individuals, families, and communities.
Barakat Elkenani, humanitarian diplomacy and resource mobilization delegate for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), speaking from Port Sudan, said that IFRC continued to support the Sudanese Red Crescent Society, and had jointly observed mass movements of people, some fleeing their homes, others trying to return to their homes in the Darfurs or the Kordofans, where infrastructure had been largely destroyed. Mr. Elkenani spoke of insufficient resources dedicated to the conflict and insufficient international attention for this conflict. IFRC currently provided different assistance, mainly cash assistance, food, mental health support. The Federation called for flexible funds for Sudanese people. Mr. Elkenani further spoke of the suffering of humanitarian workers: 22 Sudanese Red Crescent societies had perished during the conflict. Humanitarian workers ought to be protected.
Responding to questions from the media, James Reynolds, for ICRC, said that ICRC had collected 11,000 cases of missing persons since the start of the war. ICRC relied on the Sudanese Red Crescent on the ground to help collect the data and register the missing. With Red Cross networks, efforts were being made to locate missing persons, but this remained an immense challenge, and it would be a long-term process. ICRC had documented breaches of international humanitarian law and was continuing to hold confidential dialogue with the parties on this matter. Alessandra Vellucci, for UNIS, reiterated that the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Pekka Haavisto, was continuing to work on the diplomatic front and would attend the Berlin conference this week. The Secretary-General had repeatedly asked the warring parties to return to the negotiating table. Anna Mutavati, for UN Women, said that UN Women was in Berlin in support of the women of Sudan, to make the point that any peace process had to be inclusive of women. There could be no peace if huge swathes of the population were excluded.
On another question, Mohammed Refaat, head of the IOM Mission in Sudan, connecting from Khartoum, spoke of the “pandemic of the lack of accountability” in the country. Human rights violations were a major factor in displacement, and regrettably no party was being held accountable. Jens Laerke, for OCHA, acknowledged the frustration of many that much more could be done and that numerous appeals were falling on deaf ears. He said that, nonetheless, humanitarians on the ground were continuing to make difference for many people, and they could do much more if their appeal was better funded. As of now, the 2026 humanitarian appeal was only 17 percent funded. Barakat Elkenani, for IFRC, added that only 35 percent of the Federation’s own emergency appeal had been funded thus far. While Sudan was the biggest humanitarian crisis globally, this did not mean it was receiving adequate resources. He reminded that, despite all the obstacles, Sudanese Red Crescent, with the support of IFRC, had managed to reach 14 million people across the country.
Replying to another question, Ms. Mutavati said that UN Women’s new gender alert, being issued today, put the spotlight on the specific vulnerability of women and girls. In the Kordofans, specifically, there was more demand for gender-based violence services, as sexual violence continued to be used as a tactic of war. Gender-based violence had to remain on the agenda of political and peace discussions. Women’s rights organizations had received less than 10 percent of what they had asked for this year, informed Ms. Mutavati.
The impact of Lebanon's escalating crisis on women and girls
Anandita Philipose, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Lebanon Representative, speaking from Beirut, said that on 8 April, over 100 bombs had been dropped on Lebanon in less than ten minutes, hitting numerous busy neighbourhoods and causing havoc. More than 1,200 women had been killed since the beginning of the conflict, including 99 women in the 8 April bombing alone. Exhausted healthcare workers were continuing to help others, and the health system was struggling to cope, with numerous hospitals closed or damaged. This was a full-scale protection crisis, with women and girls paying the highest price. Some 620,000 displaced women and girls were at a heightened risk of gender-based violence. UNFPA continued to respond to the unprecedented needs, providing services to ensure that women and girls continued integrated, continuous support. UNFPA was helping restore essential care, providing kits to ensure safe births and menstrual hygiene. The scale of the crisis far exceeded the existing resources. Even UNFPA’s initial appeal of USD 16 million was only partially funded, but UNFPA remained steadfast in its commitment to women and girls in Lebanon. The world could not look away, as lives of thousands of women and girls in Lebanon depended on global action, now.
Conflict in Iran and supply routes
Recalling the statement of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General sent on 13 April 2026, Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), stated that the Secretary-General continued to call on the talks between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran to continue constructively for an agreement to be reached. The Secretary-General stressed that all parties to this conflict had to respect freedom of navigation, including in the Strait of Hormuz, in line with international law. Disruptions in the maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz had already had direct effect well beyond the immediate region, with increased global economic fragility and insecurity in many sectors. The disruption of fertilizer and its inputs further exacerbated food insecurity for millions of vulnerable people around the world, adding to the rising cost of living due to impacts from fuel, transportation and supply chain disruptions. With that in mind, the Executive Director of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Jorge Moreira da Silva, working with UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Chamber of Commerce, continued engaging extensively with relevant parties to design and operationalize the mechanism we announced for the Strait of Hormuz on 27 March. Further information can be found in Mr. da Silva’s X post. The Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Jean Arnault, remained actively engaged in the region, consulting closely with key stakeholders and continuing his outreach in support of a comprehensive and durable agreement.
Tommaso Della Longa, for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said that IFRC, with the Turkish Red Crescent, was delivering humanitarian aid from Türkiye to Iran, marking one of the first of cross-border humanitarian supplies since the beginning of the conflict. The operation highlighted how the logistics operations had to adjust to the new realities on the ground. It was hoped that this would be a start of getting further aid into Iran. This operation was a critical first step in supporting the lifesaving activities of Iran’s Red Crescent, stressed Mr. Della Longa. He reminded that the Red Crescent had lost four of its volunteers while they were on duty. The international community was called upon to scale up its support for the humanitarian appeal for Iran. The Federation’s updated appeal asked for CHF 120 million to help five million people across Iran; the appeal was currently heavily underfunded. Answering a question, Mr. Della Longa said that the convoy was now reaching Tehran, after which it would be dispatched based on the needs. While there were only 200 advanced trauma kits and 48,000 kg of relief items in this convoy, this was an important first step as it was establishing a new humanitarian supply route. IFRC hoped that another shipment would arrive in the coming weeks.
Matthew Saltmarsh, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that UNHCR had thus far been relying on the pre-existing stocks in the country, complementing it with cash assistance. UNHCR had stockpiles in Uzbekistan, which could be mobilized as needed.
Returns of Venezuelans
Matthew Saltmarsh, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that a significant minority of Venezuelans living outside their country in Latin America would consider returning home if socioeconomic and other conditions there improved, according to a recent UNHCR survey. The survey showed that Venezuelans in the region were starting to focus on the question of whether to return, but it also highlighted the complex factors influencing return intentions amid ongoing regional displacement challenges. Just over one third surveyed indicated a possible intention to return home, with 9 per cent considering it within a year. The primary motivation cited was family reunification.
Still, almost two thirds did not currently intend to return. The desire to reconnect with relatives in Venezuela was offset by socioeconomic and political factors, including recovery of the labour market, security and the availability of reliable services. Mr. Saltmarsh emphasized that all returns had to be voluntary, dignified and informed. As of November 2025, he reminded, 6.9 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants had been hosted in Latin America and the Caribbean, including four million in need of assistance. For 2026, UNHCR required a total of USD 328.2 million to continue supporting the needs of Venezuelans in the region and in Venezuela. As of the end of March, that had been 12 per cent funded.
More information is available here.
Regional Forum on Sustainable Development
Jovana Miočinović, for the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), stated that, with less than five years remaining to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals, progress in the UNECE region remained uneven. While implementation was lagging in several key areas and continues to be affected by multiple crises, the UNECE 2026 SDG progress report also pointed to encouraging signs of resilience, with the bulk of targets still moving forward and reflecting substantial development gains.
Against this backdrop, this year’s Regional Forum on Sustainable Development was being convened under the theme “Transforming Together: Innovative and Equitable Actions for the SDGs”. Taking place in Geneva on 21- 22 April 2026, the Forum would provide a diverse multistakeholder space to assess where the region stands on SDG implementation and identify pathways for accelerating progress. Particular attention would be given to opportunities arising from digital transformation, technology, local action and stronger partnerships, as well as to the role of innovation, youth engagement and civil society participation in driving equitable and resilient transformation.
Announcements
Alessandra Vellucci, for the UN Information Service (UNIS), informed that the first Digital World Conference hosted by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) would take place on 21 April in Room XI under the theme Digital Technology for Social Development. The event would bring together leading voices from science, policy, and international cooperation to explore the transformative role of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in advancing inclusive and sustainable development. More details can be found here.
The fifth session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent had started at the Palais des Nations today.
Ms. Vellucci also informed that the Committee against Torture was reviewing this morning the report of Tajikistan, to be continued the following day, to be followed by the review of Italy.
This week, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination would review the report of Serbia, Slovenia, and Cyprus.
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