UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING
Rolando Gómez, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section at the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator and Deputy Special Representative to the United Nations Secretary General in Somalia , and spokespersons and representatives from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Children's Fund, World Health Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, World Meteorological Organization and the International Labour Organization.
Risk of Famine in Somalia as Humanitarian Crisis Deteriorates
George Conway, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, and Deputy Special Representative to the United Nations Secretary General in Somalia, said updated food and security figures from Somalia had been released, and these indicated a very worrying situation. The humanitarian context in Somalia was worsening faster than originally projected. Right now, around six million people in Somalia - nearly one in three - were facing serious hunger, meaning that they were skipping meals or going days without enough food.
Following a protracted multi-seasonal drought, a new rainy season, called the “Gu”, was beginning, but rains had been erratic, and conditions were deteriorating rather than improving. Food insecurity was expected to remain extremely high over the next months, with a very real risk of further deterioration if these types of shocks continued.
The situation was the result of multiple compounding shocks, the combination of which was escalating the human impacts. In addition to the cumulative impacts of increased frequency and intensity of climate shocks, ongoing conflict and insecurity across the country, and repeated disease outbreaks, Somalia was experiencing spiking food and fuel prices due to the crisis in the Middle East and a precipitous drop in humanitarian assistance, reflecting global trends. The United Nations’ response for this year was currently funded at around 15 per cent.
Together, these factors were eroding people’s ability to cope and recover, pushing more families into crisis, and triggering large scale displacement. Looking ahead, a strengthened El Niño phenomenon could further compound the crisis in the months ahead.
Children were paying the highest price. Nearly two million young children were acutely malnourished, meaning they were dangerously undernourished and physically weakened, placing them at high risk of illness or death. Of these, almost half a million were so severely malnourished they require urgent treatment to survive. The outlook was particularly concerning, as malnutrition levels were expected to remain very high and worsen during the current season.
There was a real and credible risk of famine in Burhakaba district in Southwest state. Conditions were already extremely severe in the district, with very high levels of hunger and child malnutrition. Analysis showed that famine could occur if conditions worsened further, particularly if the current rains failed, food prices continued to rise sharply, and humanitarian assistance did not scale up to reach those most in need. This was a critical warning: current trends suggested deterioration rather than improvement.
There was a window of opportunity to prevent the worst outcomes. With rapid and scaled-up humanitarian action now, famine could still be averted. There was a narrow but critical window of opportunity in the coming weeks to prevent famine in high-risk areas such as Burhakaba district. The analysis made clear that famine was not yet occurring but could develop if conditions deteriorated further - meaning that timely action now could still change the trajectory.
To prevent the worst-case scenario, three priorities were essential: rapid scaling-up of humanitarian assistance to reach the most vulnerable populations; stabilising access to food, including mitigating the impact of rising prices on poor households; and sustained monitoring and response capacity in hotspot areas to detect and respond quickly to further deterioration. Without these measures and funding to support them, current assistance levels would not be enough to offset worsening food gaps, rising malnutrition, and increasing mortality risks.
Ricardo Pires for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said that in Somalia today, hunger was no longer only about empty stomachs. It was becoming a fight for children to survive disease, displacement and the collapse of basic services. Nearly 1.9 million people were already in “emergency” levels of hunger. That number had tripled in less than a year. Now, famine risk had emerged in southwest Somalia if humanitarian aid could not scale up and if drought and economic shocks worsened further, which was expected.
Children were carrying an enormous share of this crisis. This year, around 1.9 million children under five were expected to suffer acute malnutrition across the country. Nearly half a million children were projected to suffer severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form. These were children at imminent risk of death if they did not receive urgent treatment.
Hunger never travelled alone. Malnutrition was colliding with disease outbreaks, including measles and cholera, while health systems weakened under enormous pressure. Measles cases doubled during the first three months of this year compared to the same period last year. At the same time, more than 630 health facilities were already at risk of closing or scaling down. In practical terms, this meant more mothers walking for hours to reach treatment that could no longer exist. It meant more children arriving too late for care. In Somalia, severe acute malnutrition was becoming a death sentence for children when clinics closed, diseases spread, and families could not reach help in time.
The crisis was also being worsened by global economic shocks. Fuel prices in Mogadishu more than doubled within days following the escalation in the Middle East crisis. The cost of transporting life-saving nutrition supplies had surged. Water trucking, nutrition treatment and health outreach operations were all becoming dramatically more expensive at the exact moment needs were rising. At the same time, 3.5 million people remained displaced across Somalia. For millions of children, displacement was becoming a permanent part of childhood.
Somalia knew famine too well. It was the result of many warnings ignored. Today, the warnings were once again clear. The world could not wait for images of dying children to appear on screens before acting. Urgent funding was needed now to keep clinics open, scale up nutrition treatment, sustain water systems and reach vulnerable families before conditions deteriorate further. The window to prevent a deeper catastrophe was still open but it was closing fast.
In response to questions, Mr. Conway said the price of fuel in Mogadishu and elsewhere in Somalia had more than doubled in the aftermath of the crisis in the Middle East. Somalia was very import-dependent, and many imports came from the Middle East. The cost of those had increased variably by around 20 per cent. The cost of trucking water had also increased with the cost of fuel. In some locations, water trucking costs had tripled over the last month. Shipping had decreased by an estimated 49 per cent since last year. The cost of basic commodities and the cost of doing business had also increased, with some reporting increases of up to 40 per cent for implementation costs on the ground.
The United Nations had estimated that 852 million United States dollars would be needed to address the 4.8 million people in need in Somalia this year. However, that number was now at six million. Somalia had not been included in the priority countries that the United States had assigned for its latest contributions to the United Nations’ humanitarian activities. There were multiple crises competing for the world’s attention currently, which was why the current data demonstrating the situation in Somalia was so important.
Mr. Pires said UNICEF was extremely concerned about child malnutrition in pockets of the country where health services were no longer available and supplies were not moving fast enough, which could prevent children from dying. It was also concerned that the crisis was not receiving the attention it needed. Partners and governments were not acting fast enough. The international community needed to step up quicker, or the scale of the crisis would start being measured in children’s lives.
UNICEF was very concerned by the rising cost of fuel and of moving supplies. The cost of air freight had increased significantly since the Middle East crisis, which was a grave concern in the long term for Somalia, where local production and road delivery was difficult. This made the future scenario in Somalia potentially catastrophic.
Jens Laerke for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that for OCHA and the United Nations, Somalia was a priority country. The second tranche of money from the United States would be channelled through OCHA-managed pooled funds.
Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Report on Sudan
Ross Smith, Director of Emergencies and Preparedness, World Food Programme (WFP), speaking from Rome, said the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) results confirmed what was being seen every day in Sudan. Hunger was not only widespread but was deepening. Nearly 19.5 million people were now facing crisis levels of hunger, and some were already in catastrophic conditions. There were multiple areas at risk of famine in the coming months. Famine had been stalking Sudan for far too long and showed no signs of abating.
This was not a sudden shock; it was a crisis that was now in its fourth year. The crisis was driven by conflict, mass displacement and systematic erosion of people’s ability to feed themselves and earn a livelihood.
Farmers had exhausted every coping mechanism they had. There had been market collapse in many parts of the country, and agricultural production had been severely disrupted in some parts. Access to food was increasingly out of reach for millions of households.
At the same time, humanitarian operations were unable to match the scale of need. Insecurity, bureaucratic impediments and attacks on supply routes were preventing aid from reaching millions of people who urgently needed it. Food assistance needed to be scaled up now, ahead of the lean season, when conditions were expected to deteriorate further.
WFP had been on the ground responding and was ready to do more. However, it could not do it alone. Funding was far below what was required and access to the most vulnerable needed to be improved. For that, the fighting needed to stop. The crisis would not improve without sustained access. It would also not be solved without a political solution, which was years overdue.
WFP was calling for a scale-up of funding to sustain and an expansion of humanitarian assistance for United Nations agencies and partners, and a renewal and a redoubling of political efforts to end this conflict. Without these, the trajectory was quite clear: more hunger, more suffering and a growing risk of famine.
Rein Paulsen, Director of the Office of Emergencies and Resilience, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), also speaking from Rome, said the updated IPC analysis made very clear that the hunger crisis in Sudan was not just about food availability but also about the food systems that were sustaining people's lives.
Years of conflict had had a substantial, devastating impact on agriculture and rural livelihoods in affected areas. Food assets had been destroyed, farmers had been displaced from their land, markets had been disrupted or were inaccessible to people. Basic infrastructure, productive infrastructure, water systems, storage and transportation had been severely damaged in conflict-affected areas. This combination of supply chain disruptions, input shortages, reduced agricultural production and missed planting seasons in conflict affected areas had led to a sustained increase in food prices.
Lean season was rapidly approaching, so urgent action is needed. Saving lives through food assistance and nutrition support was vital. The most vulnerable people needed support to plant, to harvest, and to be able to sustain their families. This meant delivering seeds, tools, and animal health services to keep local food production alive.
Time was critical. If support did not arrive for key agricultural seasons, the consequences would extend far beyond just this year. Heavy and sustained investment in the multi-sectoral response that was underway was urgently needed. Emergency food production and livelihood support needed to be prioritised, and humanitarian access at scale in conflict affected areas was vital. Peace was a prerequisite for food security, and the right to food was a basic human right.
Read the FAO press release on the situation in Sudan here.
Lucia Elmi, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Director of Emergencies, speaking from New York, said Sudan continued to face one of the world's largest and most severe hunger crises, and children were at the centre of it. The latest IPC analysis that showed that two out of every five people across Sudan were now facing high levels of acute food insecurity. More than five million people were in emergency level of hunger, with nearly 135,000 people already facing catastrophic conditions.
For children, the situation was particularly alarming. UNICEF estimated that around 825,000 children under the age of five were expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year - the deadliest form of malnutrition. That was a seven per cent increase compared to last year and 25 per cent higher than the pre-conflict level. Between January and March alone, more than 98,500 children were admitted to treatment for severe acute malnutrition. Those were children whose immune systems had been pushed to the brink, children who became dangerously vulnerable to diarrhoea, cholera, measles, malaria and other diseases that continue to spread across the country.
In many parts of Sudan, conflict, displacement and collapsing of services were combined into a deadly cycle for children. Around 40 per cent of health facilities were non-functional. Some 70 million people lacked access to safe drinking water, and 24 million people did not have adequate sanitation.
At the same time, families continued to be uprooted by violence. More than 8.9 million people remained displaced in Sudan. Many were trapped in the areas where humanitarian access was extremely limited or had fled to a remote location with little access to food, health care or clean water. The IPC analysis warned that 14 areas across Darfur and Kordofan remain at high risk of famine in the coming months if conflict intensified further and humanitarian access deteriorated.
We could not wait to address this crisis. Without sustained humanitarian access, increased resources and an end to violence, more children in Sudan would slip beyond the reach of life-saving assistance in the weeks and months ahead.
In response to questions on the impact of the crisis in the Middle East on Sudan, Mr. Smith said WFP’s prepositioning of food ahead of the rainy season had been impacted by the rising costs of fuel and other imported commodities from the Middle East. There had been at least a 25 per cent increase in average prices in Sudan, with higher prices in remote parts. WFP was unable to preposition in some parts because of insecurity and because of lack of approvals on supply routes.
Mr. Paulsen said that getting cereal seeds on the ground was crucial. Last year, FAO had demonstrated its potential, having been able to produce more than 500 million United States dollars’ worth of food, and distribute about 15 million dollars’ worth of seeds in different locations. It needed to repeat these efforts this year, so funding, timing and access were crucial.
Ms. Elmi said the Middle East crisis had been having an impact on UNICEF’s response in Sudan, with prices increasing, delays in deliveries, and stockpiles of therapeutic feed decreasing.
Rolando Gómez, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section at the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva said that the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres had been stressing the need to stop the fighting in Sudan, for unhindered access of sustainable humanitarian access, and for safe and unhindered passage for people seeking to flee.
Health Situation in Ukraine
Dr Jarno Habicht, Ukraine Representative for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that yesterday, the world had witnessed death and devastation in Ukraine, as attacks on civilian infrastructure continued. On day 1,541 of the war, it was essential to discuss health and access to care.
During the cold winter, WHO had been ensuring facilities had electricity, heating and water so health care services could be continuously provided. Over the past years, WHO had supported the health system with around 300 generators and 26 heating stations. It had installed 15 water purification stations in hospitals and supported 24 health facilities with water heaters and around 80 water storage tanks. Now, preparations were underway for the coming winter.
Simultaneously, public health and health security efforts also needed to focus on summer. Summer heat, war-related infrastructure damage and service disruptions could increase the risk of heat-related illness and seasonal outbreaks, especially waterborne, foodborne, and vector-borne diseases, in the most affected oblasts in the south and east of Ukraine.
Attacks on civilian infrastructure across the country, including health infrastructure, were continuing. There had been 3,011 attacks since 24 February 2022 - two attacks every day - causing 239 deaths and 991 injuries, with every fifth attack affecting ambulances and medical transport. The scale increased sharply in 2025, with 582 verified attacks, around 20 per cent higher than in 2024, and attacks had continued in 2026, meaning that health workers, patients, facilities, and emergency medical transport remained exposed to serious and persistent risk.
The war had a long-term impact on human capital. Two out of three people reported that their health had worsened compared to the pre-war period. In the past year, every second person reported significant deterioration of health, related to sleep disorders, headaches and migraines, and anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorders. The cumulative stress and disruption of the past four years was manifesting in increased chronic diseases and burden of non-communicable diseases, where hospital admissions had progressively increased by 11 per cent for stroke and seven per cent for myocardial infarction.
The health system was constantly adapting to a volatile environment. In the past year, 68 per cent of people had visited their primary care doctor, and 85 per cent said they were satisfied with the care received. There were attacks on health, but the health system was functioning. Ukraine was introducing new vaccines, ensuring that health services were provided on the frontline.
WHO actions addressed both humanitarian health needs and contributed to health system resilience through a strategic “response-recovery-reform” approach. It had delivered 320 metric tonnes of medical supplies in 2025 through 40 WHO and 41 UN interagency convoys, ensured around 20,000 primary care consultations in hard-to-reach areas, and built 28 modular units for primary and emergency care serving 168,000 people. It was facilitating capacity building in mental health, trauma care, rehabilitation, laboratory services, immunisation, and health financing to continuously invest in health care workers and strengthen institutions and trust in the health system.
Dr Habicht thanked all partners who were staying in solidarity, supporting the humanitarian effort and development in Ukraine. Resources for health support in Ukraine needed to continue to be made available so that daily life-saving health services could continue to be provided. He also thanked all partners providing budget support, thanks to which Ukraine doctors, nurses and ambulance workers could continue to work courageously. Support also needed to have a development focus, so that future generations of Ukrainians were not left behind.
In response to a question on mental health issues in Ukraine, Dr Habicht said unity among partners was needed to support mental health services. In February 2022, WHO had estimated that 10 million people in Ukraine would need mental health support. Entering the fifth year of the war, those needs were now increasing. Some 71 per cent of people had episodes of anxiety, stress and sleepless nights. The impact of the war on mental health would be seen for generations. There were more than 150,000 health care workers trained in the past years and mental health had been integrated to all healthcare sectors. There was much work to be done in the coming years regarding mental health, and WHO would support those efforts.
Announcements
Zeina Awad for the International Labour Organization (ILO) said ILO would hold an embargoed media briefing ahead of the launch of its new Employment and Social Outlook 2026 Update, which examined how the Middle East crisis was affecting global labour markets. The report presented new estimates of the potential impact on jobs, working hours, and labour incomes under different energy price scenarios. The briefing would be conducted online by the report’s author, Sangheon Lee, ILO Chief Economist, Sher Verick, ILO Acting Deputy Chief Economist, and Maurizio Bussi, Director of the ILO Action Crisis Programme, on Monday, 18 May at 09:30–10:00 a.m. Accredited journalists could request embargoed copies of the report, press materials, and access details for the briefing at newsroom@ilo.org.
Ms. Awad said ILO would hold the 114th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) from 1 to 12 June 2026. Details of the full agenda were available on the ILO website. Some of the sessions of the ILC would be webcast. The Conference activities would be held at three different venues including the ILO Headquarters building, the Palais des Nations and the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG). At the ILC, workers, employers and Government delegates from the ILO’s 187 Member States would discuss a wide range of key issues shaping the world of work. The Conference agenda included the reports of the Chairperson of the Governing Body and of the Director-General, discussions on the programme and budget, and the application of international labour standards. The Conference would also address major policy themes, including a recurrent discussion on social dialogue and tripartism, a standard-setting discussion on decent work in the platform economy, and a general discussion on advancing gender equality in the world of work.
Clare Nullis for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said the WMO was releasing on Monday, 18 May was releasing its latest report on the state of the climate in Latin America and the Caribbean. This was one of WMO’s regional series of climate reports. The current report was being released in Brasilia, and embargoed materials had been distributed. The report was published in Spanish and English.
Alejandro Laguna for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said the UNEP and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction had produced the Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction for 2025 to 2026, which would be officially launched next week on Tuesday, 19 May at 8 a.m. The report assessed progress across the sector, using several key indicators covering policies, finance, technologies and investment, aligned with global efforts and global commitments towards a 2050 net-zero emissions pathway. The report highlighted how climate action in buildings could reduce energy bills, improve living conditions, and strengthen resilience to climate impacts, while cutting greenhouse gas emissions. It covered issues such as the buildings and construction sector’s impact in global material extraction, emissions and energy consumption, the percentage of buildings’ energy demand supplied by renewables, and the investment in energy efficiency. An embargoed media kit was available, with a press release, key messages and the report itself.
Tarik Jašarević for the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA) was beginning on Sunday, 17 May with the “Walk the Talk” event that would start in front of the Palais des Nations. A media advisory had been sent last evening, which addressed the topics that would be discussed by Member States, from global health system to emergencies shaping health policies but also discussing budget finance and constitutional matters. This year, the WHA’s Committee B would hold plenaries at the Palais des Nations, while Committee A would be held at WHO Headquarters.
Responding to questions on the Assembly, Mr. Jašarević said that the list of participants would be posted at the last moment, as delegations were constantly changing. The WHA would feature a high-level opening, election of officers, and different committees. There would be a speech from the President of the Assembly and a speech by Dr Tedros. It was difficult to predict how long discussions would last on particular items, as this did not depend on WHO but on the discussions of Member States. The agenda for the session had been posted online. Dr Tedros would hold a press briefing today at 3 p.m., in which he would talk about the WHA, among other issues. Next week, WHO would also hold a briefing at the Palais to discuss the Assembly’s activities.
Rolando Gómez, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section at the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, said the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres had issued a statement on the 1.8 billion United States dollar donation from the United States for lifesaving humanitarian work. He had also issued a message concerning the release of more than 1,600 conflict-related detainees in Yemen.
The Secretary-General would this weekend be travelling to Tokyo, where he would chair the biannual session of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB), which brought together the heads of UN system organizations. He would also be meeting with the Emperor of Japan, the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Further, he would participate in a high-level symposium entitled “Celebrating 70: Japan-UN Cooperation, Expo 2025 and the Future of Multilateralism”. Mr. Guterres was also expected to hold a press conference on 20 May from Japan, the transcript of which would be shared.
The Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council was closing its session today. This afternoon, it would adopt 14 State reports on the reviews which took place over the last two weeks.
The Working Group on the Right to Developmentwould hold its 27th session from 18 to 21 May 2026 in the Tempus Building. The Working Group would continue to monitor and review progress made in the promotion and implementation of the right to development, holding an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the right to development and with the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development.
A press conference would be held on Monday, 18 May at 2 p.m. at Palais Wilson with Ajith Sunghay, the Head of the United Nations Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The United Nations Security Council was meeting in public this afternoon Geneva time on the situation in the Middle East.
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