Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
Secretary-General/Travels
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Sudan
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Security Council
Financial Contribution

SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
This morning, the Secretary-General addressed the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development, which is taking place in Yokohama this year. The Secretary-General said that for more than three decades TICAD, as the Conference is known, has embodied the spirit of multilateralism grounded in mutual respect, shared responsibility and a deep belief in Africa’s potential.
This meeting, he added, comes at a time of interconnected crises and deep inequalities. Tackling these crises, he said, "requires a clear focus not only on development for Africa, but development with Africa."
On the sidelines, he met with the Prime Minister of Japan, Ishiba Shigeru. They exchanged views on a number of issues, including global and regional issues.
Mr. Guterres also met with Dr. Tanaka Akihiko, the President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which is the organizer of the Conference.
In all his meetings and exchanges, the Secretary-General emphasized that enhanced cooperation needs to focus on areas where strategic partnerships can drive inclusive growth in Africa, creating decent jobs and accelerating progress towards Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
His schedule for tomorrow in Yokohama includes more bilateral meetings with attendees of the Conference, and a press encounter in Yokohama.

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is increasingly dire, with children and adults killed, injured and displaced every single day. Starvation and malnutrition continue to deepen.
And as an example, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has just shared the latest malnutrition data. They are the largest provider of nutrition screening and treatment in Gaza. They have, since March of this year, when the ceasefire collapsed, UNRWA has screened over 95,000 children aged 6 months to 5 years old for malnutrition across the Gaza Strip. The prevalence of acute malnutrition has risen 15.8 per cent in the first half of August. This means that according to UNRWA’s data, malnutrition has tripled across the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire collapsed. And in Gaza City, acute malnourishment has reached 28.5 per cent, meaning more than one in four children in Gaza City is now considered malnourished.
According to UNRWA screenings, malnutrition in Gaza City is now almost six times the level it was since the ceasefire.
But despite the impediments and the systematic restrictions, the UN and its partners are sparing no effort to bring critical food and supplies into the Gaza Strip to avoid an even further deterioration of the situation.
Today, OCHA released an update on what we delivered in Gaza between August 3rd and 16th. A few highlights:
On food: Teams brought in about 12,000 metric tons of wheat flour and other supplies and supported more than 80 community kitchens providing over 400,000 meals every day.
That’s twice as much as in late July but less than half of what we were able to bring in April.
On nutrition: the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) brought in enough therapeutic food for 30,000 acutely malnourished children for one month; infant formula sufficient for 1,250 babies; and over 3,500 cartons of high-energy biscuits. Partners also continued screening thousands of children for malnutrition.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=20%20August%202025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42utH1Fxa98

Source: United Nations (video statements)

“In the course of 2024, more than 4,600 cases of conflict-related sexual violence, including as a tactic of war, torture, terror and political repression, were documented, marking a staggering 25 percent increase from 2023, which was itself a 50 percent increase from the previous year,” the UN’s envoy on sexual violence in conflict told the Security Council.

Briefing the Council today (Aug 19), Pramila Patten, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, warned that even as needs rise, funding for women’s frontline organizations is collapsing. “We are told there is no money for lifesaving aid, even as military expenditure soars, and the world spends more in 24 hours on arms than it does in a year on addressing gender-based violence in conflict,” she said.

Patten’s remarks drew on the Secretary-General’s latest annual report on conflict-related sexual violence, published on 14 August and covering the period from January to December 2024.

She noted that women and girls accounted for 92 percent of verified cases last year, with victims ranging in age from one to 75 years old. “Sexual violence against children increased by a shocking 35 percent over the past year, with incidents of gang-rape rising dramatically, inflicting enduring, generational harm,” she said.

From Darfur, Ikhlass Ahmed of the Darfur Advocacy Group described how sexual violence remains widespread. “Hardly a day goes by without a new report of rape of a woman or girl,” she told the Council, adding that more than 30 women and girls have been detained by the Rapid Support Forces in El Fasher for over seven months. “These stories and these numbers are just the tip of the iceberg, as survivors often remain silent due to stigma and fear of retaliation,” she said.

Ahmed also reported at least 174 attacks on health providers and facilities since the conflict began, including clinics serving survivors of sexual violence. “In April, the RSF burned down a women-led community kitchen in Zamzam Camp, deliberately killing volunteers Hasanat Musa, who was pregnant, and Nana Bahar Idris,” she added.

Before the debate, the signatories to the Shared Commitments on Women, Peace and Security – Denmark, France, Greece, Guyana, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, the UK, and the US – delivered a joint statement on conflict-related sexual violence, at a stakeout ahead of the meeting.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Panama’s ambassador to the UN, Eloy Alfaro de Alba, called for accountability and greater support for survivors. “We call for an end to impunity for sexual and gender-based violence and demand accountability as the norm for these crimes,” he said. “We stress the urgent need for sustained, flexible and predictable funding for victims and survivor-centered responses, including through a multi-partner Trust Fund on CRSV.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkmsdv_peyw