UN Geneva Press Briefing

Rolando Gómez, Chief of the Press and External Relations at the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Refugee Agency, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, and the United Nations Development Programme.

Conflict in Lebanon

Karolina Lindholm Billing, United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Representative in Lebanon, speaking from Beirut, said that lives in Lebanon had been upended on a massive scale, with over 667,000 people registered on the government’s online platform as internally displaced. Some 120,000 of those were sheltering in government collective sites, while others were searching for accommodation, and many were sleeping in their cars. People were seeking safety in Beirut, Mount Lebanon, north Lebanon, and parts of the Bekka. More than 78,000 Syrians had crossed from Lebanon into Syria, rushing to return due to the escalation, in addition to some 7,700 Lebanese crossing the same border. Ms. Lindholm said that UNHCR was supporting the authorities in responding to the crisis, delivering over 168,000 emergency items. To ensure this critical assistance reached as many people as possible, UNHCR was using multiple channels. 

Ms. Lindholm Billing explained that children and adults alike were in shock and fear, and UNHCR and partners were scaling up their psychosocial support. With the current level of displacement, it was difficult to replenish the stocks rapidly, and UNHCR’s 2026 appeal was currently only 14 percent funded. Every day the conflict continued, further suffering was inflicted on hundreds of thousands of civilians. Civilians had to be protected, and unhindered humanitarian access needed to be secured.

Full briefing note can be found here.

Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Lebanon, also connecting from Beirut, said that the expansion of evacuation orders had increased pressure on already fragile infrastructure and communities. Hospitals and frontline responders were under extreme strain. 486 people had been killed and 1,313 injured as of the figures available on 9 March, 20 percent of whom were children. Dr. Abubakar said that 19 health workers had also been killed in attacks against health care, with 56 health facilities impacted. WHO had been working with the Ministry of Health on increasing access to health care for migrant workers and Syrians. WHO was also increasing its disease surveillance to rapidly respond to potential future outbreaks. 

Dr. Abubakar explained that WHO was reinforcing disease surveillance and early warning systems, including deploying surveillance staff to shelters and expanding call centre capacity for early detection and rapid response to outbreaks. It was also supporting the distribution of essential medicines, particularly for noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions, for displaced populations. WHO would deploy staff to support the emergency operations centre, strengthen referral hospital capacity, and ensure access to trauma care for war-wounded patients. It was pre-positioning trauma and burn supplies, essential medicines including insulin, and other critical supplies at frontline facilities and designated trauma centres. WHO was working with partners to keep health care as accessible as possible under the dire circumstances. WHO was also trying to scale up mental health and psychosocial support, but the available resources were very limited, for which the international community’s support was needed. De-escalation and return to peace were desperately needed, concluded Dr. Abubakar.

On behalf of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Rolando Gómez informed that with displacement in Lebanon already topping half a million people, IOM was working round the clock to ensure vulnerable migrants and displaced persons have access to shelter and humanitarian protection. Midde-East North Africa regional director Othman Belbeisi was currently in Beirut to meet government and humanitarian partners and assess the situation with the local mission. He was available for interviews.

Responding to questions, Dr. Abubakar, for WHO, said that the risk of potential outbreaks was high, so monitoring and preventive measures were both very important. High numbers of child casualties could be attributed to increased attacks on urban, densely populated centres. WHO had documented the use of white phosphorus in the earlier conflict, but no injuries related to that, or other chemical substance had been registered this time. As of 9 March, there were 486 fatalities in Lebanon; 84 children and 44 women were registered as having been killed, and 259 children and 280 women as having been injured. Ms. Lindholm Billing, for UNHCR, said that 7,700 Lebanese nationals were recorded as having entered Syria over the past week.

Conflict in Iran and broader repercussions

On a question related to health hazards for people in Iran, Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that the acidic, black rain was dangerous for the population. WHO was in touch with the hospitals, and the Iranian authorities had issued guidance for people to stay indoors. He said that acidic rain could cause chemical burns to the skin and damage to the lungs. Given what was at risk in Iran right now, including oil refineries, WHO concurred with the advice issued by the Iranian authorities in this regard. The situation was dangerous and had to be closely monitored. Ravina Shamdasani, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), added that OHCHR was concerned whether the principles of proportionality and precautions were met in the attacks on Iran.

Jean-Martin Bauer, Director of World Food Programme (WFP) Food and Nutrition Analysis Service, speaking from Rome, said that, due to the ongoing conflict, the global supply chains were experiencing severe disruptions through key shipping points, which was seriously affecting food security. Emergency surcharges for insurance were being placed on customers including places far away from the conflict zone. WFP’s biggest operation was Sudan, which was being supplied through Port Sudan, for which food was primarily procured in India, and the current sail was 9,000 kilometers longer than before the conflict, adding 25 days of shipping time. These costs and lost time were having quite an impact on humanitarian programmes, said Mr. Bauer. On 9 March, crude oil had traded at over USD 100 for the first time in a while, he noted. If the situation lasted longer, it would impact global inflation, by affecting the fertilizer market and food security in many countries. 

Replying to questions, Mr. Bauer said that war‑risk insurance premiums had increased sharply by USD 2,000 to USD 4,000 per container in high‑risk areas. West Africa also had to be watched closely, as it was also going to feel the effects of increasing fertilizer prices. WFP programmes were under-resourced, which meant that there was simply less food in the countries where WFP was operating. 

Rolando Gómez, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), said that shortly UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) would be publishing today an analysis on the implications for global trade and development of the Strait of Hormuz disruptions.

Returns to Afghanistan

Arafat Jamal, United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Representative in Kabul, speaking from Islam Qala at the Afghanistan-Iran border, said that Afghans in Iran had no good choices, as they found themselves in the middle of the war. Any Afghan who chose or was forced to return was facing not only conflict but also a dismal economic situation. Mr. Jamal had spoken to several Afghans returning to their country; they had described the scenes of bombardment and had the feeling they had to leave for their own security and the dwindling economic prospects in Iran. The number of returns in 2026 so far stood at 110,000, with some 1,700 returning daily since the eruption of the conflicts. The returns were happening in an orderly fashion, but there was a lot of tension and apprehension. Many had been displaced multiple times: from Afghanistan to Iran, then inside Iran, now returning to their country, with precarity and uncertainty. More people were expected to return from both Iran and Pakistan. UNHCR and other UN agencies were equipped to deal with returns, with right infrastructure and staff, but what was sorely lacking was sustained, generous support. Mr. Jamal concluded by stressing that Afghanistan was experiencing repercussions of what was happening in Iran and needed immediate international support. 

Tajudeen Oyewale, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative for Afghanistan, also connecting from Islam Qala, said that the ongoing escalating crisis had serious implications for children across borders. They were already seeing too many mothers arriving at reception centres with their children, looking exhausted, overwhelmed and in need of immediate support. If arrivals increased as expected, the risks facing children would grow as well. In 2025, at the height of humanitarian response, high numbers of children had returned unaccompanied across the borders, and this tendency was expected to continue in 2026. Some three million Afghans had returned to Afghanistan in 2025, 60 percent of whom had been families with children. Mr. Oyewale emphasized the need for financial support and flexible funding. 

The Humanitarian Response Plan for Afghanistan was currently only ten percent funded at a time when a tectonic crisis was happening next door, forcing Afghans to return home.  The geopolitical situation created major disruption to supply chains, which meant that basic service delivery was hampered by delays. At the same time, the situation along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border was adding to existing humanitarian pressures. Nearly 164,000 people were internally displaced in the affected provinces, including 30,000 survivors of last year’s earthquakes who were now displaced for a second time. Disruptions affecting border areas were placing further strain on already fragile systems and complicating the operating environment at a time of rising need. Mr. Oyewale concluded by stressing that children had to be protected at every stage of the response to the ongoing crises.

Rolando Gómez, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), referred to the briefing the previous day at the UN Security Council by the Secretary-General’s Special Deputy Representative for Afghanistan, Georgette Gagnon, who also noted that border disruptions were worsening the country’s fragile economy, while humanitarian needs remained vast, while at the same time restrictions on women and girls, and concerns about terrorism remained. 

Responding to questions, Mr. Jamal, for UNHCR, said that this year alone, 110,000 Afghans had returned from Iran and 160,000 from Pakistan, in addition to some 115,000 internally displaced along the border with Pakistan. UNHCR’s budget for 2026 stood at USD 200 million, of which some 15 percent was currently funded. Mr. Oyewale, for UNICEF, said that some supply chain problems were already being felt. UNICEF was now exploring different supply routes, including through Europe and Uzbekistan, and direct air supplies from Europe to Afghanistan.

Human rights violations in the South Sudan conflict

Seif Magango, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), speaking from Nairobi, stated that the OHCHR was horrified by growing accounts of serious violations during the ongoing conflict in South Sudan, including gruesome killings of civilians, the destruction and poisoning of key water sources, and fresh waves of mass displacement. Over the past 17 days, over 160 civilians had been killed, including at least 139 on 1 March by fighters from the Bul Nuer ethnic group in Abiemnom locality in the Ruweng Administrative Area in the north. Specifically on 21 February, 21 civilians had been killed by government forces in Pankor village, Ayod County, Jonglei State in the east. The soldiers had lured them into gathering at one place promising to give them food aid then opened fire on them. On the same day, soldiers had reportedly tied up and beheaded four civilians in Thiam village of Wau Payam, Western Bahr al Ghazal State in the northwest.

On 6 March, the military had issued an evacuation order for all civilians in Akobo town and surrounding villages in the east. It had also directed the closure and withdrawal of the UN Mission in South Sudan’s temporary operating base in Akobo, in Jonglei State, as well as other UN agencies and NGOs. The South Sudanese armed forces had also reportedly destroyed or intentionally contaminated community water sources. Civilians who spoke to the UN Human Rights Office said approximately 99 wells had been destroyed or poisoned with unidentified substances during government airstrikes. There needed to be prompt, impartial, thorough and effective investigations into these and all other alleged violations of the laws of war and of international human rights law. There also had to be a ceasefire as promptly as possible, to save lives and turn this conflict in the direction of a negotiated solution, stressed Mr. Magango. 

Full statement is available here.

Replying to questions, Mr. Magango said that the poisoning of the well had been confirmed, but the substance was not known. The figures he provided had been verified.

New partnership to use satellite imagery to guide faster recovery in crisis zones

Devanand Ramiah, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Director of Crisis Readiness, Response and Recovery, said that satellite imagery guided faster recovery in crisis zones, and this technology could help communities survive and recover after crises. Today, UNDP and the United Nations Satellite Centre, hosted by United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), were strengthening their partnership to deliver rapid crisis impact analysis, with the new framework reducing assessment time from 72 hours to 48 hours. Mr. Ramiah explained the process: first, satellite imagery was analysed immediately after a crisis, then UNDP teams validated findings on the ground and asked for further targeted satellite imagery, after which Governments received maps and damage data for planning. As a result, assessments were delivered up to 30 percent faster. 

Mr. Ramiah stressed that better data enabled targeted assistance to the most affected areas, stronger coordination across response partners and evidence-based funding appeals and recovery planning. The partnership ensured satellite intelligence and field expertise work together to inform recovery decisions. Faster data meant faster response and recovery. 

More information is available here.

Announcements

Karima Cherif, for the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), informed that the first meeting of the International Panel on Inequality would take place in Room VIII on 16 March at 3:30 pm. This flagship initiative and legacy of the G20 South African Presidency to address the global inequality crisis would bring together leading economists, including Nobel Laureate Professor Joseph Stiglitz, alongside representatives of diplomatic missions, UN agencies, civil society and academia.

Jovana Miočinović, for the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), stated that the main UN body for vehicle regulations – UNECE’s World Forum for Harmonization Vehicle Regulations was meeting in Room XII this week. The Forum would deliberate on several new UN vehicle regulations, including on limiting brake particle emissions, lifetime monitoring of vehicle pollution, as well as driver fatigue.  Ms. Miočinović reminded that the World Forum was a unique global platform responsible for the regulatory frameworks regarding the safety and environmental performance of vehicles, their subsystems and parts.

Speaking on behalf of Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Rolando Gómez, informed that the Office would launch today its annual report to the Human Rights Council. The report highlighted the growing epidemic of cyberbullying and the urgent need for mandatory action to protect children online. A poll conducted by her Office with over 30,000 children across all regions found that 66 percent believed cyberbullying had increased.

Mr. Gómez referred to the Secretary-General’s speech to the opening of the seventieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women, along with several other messages. 

He informed that today at 2 pm, the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua would hold a press conference about their latest report to the 61^st session of the Human Rights Council.

On 11 March at 2 pm, Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, would provide an update on the Global Humanitarian Overview hyper-prioritized plan 2026

On 12 March at 1 pm, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine would hold a presser on its latest report to the Human Rights Council. 

The same day at 2:30 pm, Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, would have a press conference on his latest report “Counter-terrorism abuses challenging the international order” (definition of terrorism, use of force under the pretext of CT, narco-terrorism).

Finally, on 13 March at 9:30 am, Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, would address the media about his latest report to the Council.

The Human Right Committee was concluding this morning its review of the report of the Republic of Moldova.

The Committee on Enforced Disappearances, which was marking its 20^th anniversary this year, was concluding this morning it review of the report of Samoa.

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was concluding this morning its review of the report of Lesotho.

Finally, the Human Rights Council today was discussing violence against children, children and armed conflict, and protection of human rights while countering terrorism. 

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