Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Secretary-General/Cyprus
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– Haiti
– Central African Republic
– Security Council
– School Enrolment/Latin America
– Financial Contribution
SECRETARY-GENERAL/CYPRUS
The Secretary-General concluded his visit to Cyprus, and he is now on his way to New York.
Today, he held a meeting with the Greek Cypriot leader, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhürman. The meeting took place in the United Nations Good Offices Mission compound.
Following today’s meeting with the two leaders, the Secretary-General told journalists that the discussions, held separately and jointly, were frank and constructive.
He added that based on the discussions on the way forward, he decided that he, “would convene another 5+1 meeting, after adequate preparations on confidence building, methodology and substance, taking into account the convergences already achieved.”
Mr. Guterres stressed that the UN will work in consultation with the two sides and the guarantors, to create the conditions for the meeting’s success.
In conclusion, Mr. Guterres said that the UN cannot impose peace. But it remains fully committed to supporting the people of Cyprus in this crucial moment for the island and the wider region.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that civilians in Gaza face major public health risks, adding to the insecurity and displacement. Widespread rodent and ectoparasite infestations were reported in 83 per cent of displacement sites assessed earlier this month, and that is alongside sewage in streets, stagnant water and poor sanitation conditions.
In response, UN humanitarian partners are scaling-up rodent control this week. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and other partners are distributing nine metric tonnes of rodenticides every day, thanks to supplies brought into Gaza by the United Arab Emirates.
To reduce public health risks, sustained access to critical equipment and supplies such as spare parts and engine oil is urgently needed. It is also critical that partners managing solid waste in Gaza are permitted to reach landfills in areas where access is restricted by Israeli forces, that’s about 65 per cent of the Strip.
Access to water also remains a daily challenge for families. The UN and its partners are doing what we can to support hundreds of thousands of children and their families with access to essential water, sanitation and hygiene services.
In Khan Younis, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is supporting the construction of a central water well that is expected to benefit some 7,000 people. In Gaza City, the agency is joining efforts to clean up the Sheikh Ajleen waste water treatment plant, which served some 700,000 people before it was damaged in the hostilities.
On the education front, the UN Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT) and partners estimated this week that about 430,000 kindergarten and school-aged children, about 56 per cent of the estimated student population, were enrolled in more than 600 temporary learning spaces across Gaza. In some of these learning spaces, programmes are underway to help children catch up ahead of the new school year.
However, nearly half of school-aged children still lack adequate access to learning opportunities.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-07-29