Category: MIL-OSI

Source: United Nations (video statements)

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

Highlights:
– Secretary-General / Gaza
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Lebanon / Israel
– Israel / Houthis
– Sudan
– Syria
– Pakistan
– Rohingya People and other Communities / Myanmar

SECRETARY-GENERAL/GAZA
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the killing of Palestinians today in Israeli strikes that hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. Those killed in addition to civilians, included medical personnel and journalists.
We want to extend our condolences to families and colleagues of those journalists killed, especially those representatives of the Associated Press, Reuters and Al Jazeera, who are in this room or online.
These latest horrific killings highlight the extreme risks that medical personnel and journalists face as they carry out their vital work amid this brutal conflict.
The Secretary-General recalls that civilians, including medical personnel and journalists, must be respected and protected at all times. He calls for a prompt, and impartial investigation into these killings.
He reiterates that medical personnel and journalists must be able to perform their essential duties without interference, without intimidation, and without harm, and in full accordance with international humanitarian law.
The Secretary-General reiterates his call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, unfettered humanitarian access across Gaza and for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages being held in Gaza.

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that ongoing air strikes and hostilities, including attacks on healthcare, are causing further casualties and damaging or destroying critical civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.  
With famine conditions now confirmed in Gaza governorate, hunger and malnutrition among children are deepening. UN partners working on nutrition warn that in any food crisis, children with underlying health conditions are affected first and without proper nutrition, water and care, their condition worsens quicklier.
Less aid means more malnutrition; the UN and its partners continue to call for the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid into and throughout Gaza.   
Today, the Ministry of Health in Gaza said that 11 people have died from malnutrition and starvation in the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of people who have died due to malnutrition and hunger to 300. That, again, is according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.  
Across the Strip, people continue to be displaced while seeking safety and shelter. UN partners tracking population movements in Gaza report that since 20 August, some 5,000 people are estimated to have been displaced from northern Gaza to Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. Some 8,000 others have been displaced to the west of Gaza City. This brings the total number of new displacements since the end of the ceasefire in mid-March to more than 800,000.  
Meanwhile, OCHA warns that aid convoys in Gaza continue to face delays, they continue to face movement obstructions and many other obstacles. Yesterday, out of 15 humanitarian missions that required coordination, the Israeli authorities facilitated seven, which included the collection of fuel from Kerem Shalom crossing and its distribution to areas where it is needed most. Four missions had to be either cancelled by the organizers or were denied outright by Israeli authorities. The remaining ones were initially approved but then impeded on the ground and only partially accomplished.
UN partners said that several education facilities across the Gaza Strip, all used as shelters for displaced people, were attacked last week.
With local authorities announcing that final exams for over 35,000 high school students are due to be held in two weeks, we and our partners reiterate our call for the protection of education facilities in accordance with international humanitarian law.  
Meanwhile, Israeli forces released a World Health Organization (WHO) colleague who had been detained now for more than a month. WHO welcomed the release and called, once again, for the protection of health staff and all humanitarians workers.   
OCHA continues to call for the protection of civilians, including humanitarians, health workers and journalists. None should ever be a target.

LEBANON/ISRAEL
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reports continued Israel Defense Forces’ military activities, including air violations and patrolling, in southern Lebanon.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=25%20August%202025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLkV0rNMdRg

Source: United Nations (video statements)

“We are in a race against time,” said Rein Paulsen, Director of the Office of Emergencies and Resilience at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as UN agencies briefed on the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis confirming famine conditions in Gaza.

Paulsen said the findings lay out “the scale, the nature, and the magnitude of the famine unfolding.” According to the IPC report, more than half a million people in Gaza are facing catastrophic deprivation and “over one million people, some 54 per cent of the population, are facing what’s classified as Emergency Phase Four. By the end of September, famine is projected to further expand to the Governorates of Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis,” Paulsen noted.

Jean-Martin Bauer, Director of the WFP’s Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Service, said the confirmation reflects extreme conditions. “What we have is extreme food deprivation, widespread acute malnutrition, and starvation-related deaths, and that should all make us pause,” he said.

“When a famine is confirmed, it also means that we’re not just in an extreme food crisis. It means we’ve crossed the tipping point,” Bauer added. “We’re not in a mathematical problem where we can say that X money or X million dollars or Y trucks will solve this problem. The problem becomes much more complex, especially in the case of the exponentially rising number of people facing malnutrition.”

He highlighted the rarity of such declarations. “Since the IPC itself was created more than 20 years ago, this is only the fifth time that there has been a famine confirmation. There was one in 2011 in Somalia, 2017 in South Sudan, 2020 in South Sudan again, and then in 2024 in Sudan,” Bauer said. “So, this is a historic moment; we also have two concurrent famines – Gaza and Sudan. To have two famines at the same time, that’s something that’s absolutely unprecedented. What this also constitutes is the first famine that has been confirmed in the Middle East.”

The situation is particularly grave for children, a UNICEF official warned. “Within this humanitarian emergency in Gaza, there’s a real child survival crisis,” said Samir Elhawary, Acting Deputy Director of Emergency Programs at UNICEF. “We see malnutrition accelerating at a catastrophic pace, and for many, far too many children, it’s already too late.”

Elhawary said aid restrictions had long been pushing children into extreme food poverty. “The signs were unmistakable: children with wasted bodies, too weak to cry or to eat; babies dying of hunger and preventable disease; and parents arriving at clinics without enough food to feed their children.”

He added that the numbers continue to surge. “Last month alone, approximately 13,000 children in Gaza were identified as acutely malnourished,” Elhawary said. “That’s the highest monthly figure ever recorded since the beginning of the war, and it’s a six-fold increase since the beginning of this year.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vko8g46oG2s

Source: United Nations (video statements)

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa said the evolution of the security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has not matched the progress achieved on the diplomatic front.

Addressing the Security Council today (22 Aug), Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee said, “Regrettably, the evolution of the security situation on the ground has not matched the progress achieved on the diplomatic front, while the parties are yet to comply with their obligations under Security Council resolution 2773.”

She continued, “The number of civilian casualties has risen dramatically. Humanitarian workers are risking their lives to provide limited assistance to a population whose needs continue to grow. Conflict-related sexual violence persists, amid general indifference.”

She added, “The forced recruitment of children continues. As the school year is about to start, thousands of other children will be unable to go to school, because of insecurity. Despite a relative lull in direct clashes, the parties continue to deploy troops and transfer weapons along the front lines.”

She said, “Today, 5.9 million Congolese are internally displaced, including one million in North Kivu and 1.5 million in South Kivu. Families are repeatedly uprooted, caught in a cycle of fear and constant displacement. This relentless instability not only erodes social cohesion but threatens any prospect for long-term peace and recovery.”

She stressed, “The adoption by the DRC and Rwanda of the terms of reference of the Joint Oversight Committee, the Joint Coordination Mechanism of the Washington Agreement, and the declaration of principles for a regional economic integration framework, are encouraging. It should be emphasized, at the same time, that while commitment to process is welcome, it is no substitute for an actual cessation of hostilities on the ground and genuine steps to end the privations of conflict in eastern DRC.”

Also addressing the Council today, Zénon Mukongo Ngay, Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the United Nations, said, “Despite all these peace initiatives, we remain concerned, in light of recent developments, about the sincerity of Rwanda’s commitment and that of their AFC/M23 auxiliaries, who persist in trampling on their obligations under the Washington Peace Agreement and the Doha Declaration of Principles.”

Martin Ngoga, Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations said, “It is non-negotiable the territorial integrity of the DRC, so is the territorial integrity of neighbors of DRC, including Rwanda. And the territorial integrity and obligations of any member Country of the UN include fair treatment of citizens. Sovereignty comes along with obligations. The DRC must stop mistreating or treating part of their population as lesser than citizens.”

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

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Vivian van de Perre’s calling is to help nations transition from conflict to peace. Now the deputy head of peacekeeping in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, she leads a life-saving operation in the rebel-held city of Goma.

“It’s tragic and it’s unimaginable, but at the same time, people live their lives and they do the best they can, and they remain generous and warm, despite the circumstances that they live in. You go to these places and you see the worst and you see the best, and it’s all in one package, and it is just something that really, really touches you. It’s not like a regular job.”

A recent peace accord has raised hopes of an end to the violence that has plagued eastern DRC for the past three decades. In this episode, recorded before the peace agreement, Vivian van de Perre reflects on the impact of funding cuts on active war zones, on peacekeeping as a delicate balancing act, and shares why she falls for every place she serves.

[00:00] Introduction
[00:59] Life in the Democratic Republic of Congo
[04:12] Decades of suffering
[07:17] The role of Peacekeepers
[09:15] Protecting civilians amid conflict
[13:49] Why MONUSCO’s presence still matters
[18:54] Seeking refuge behind UN gates
[22:04] Colleagues lost in the field
[23:22] What keeps Vivian awake at night
[26:21] Vivian’s personal life and journey
[31:06] Finding beauty amid crisis
[34:25] Balancing family and duty
[38:54] Holding onto UN values
[40:05] Coping with stress
[41:17] Closing remarks

Listen to more Awake at Night episodes: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwoDFQJEq_0b6hu1e8oxsch9W0D7vkNqt

#podcast #unitednations #awakeatnight #MONUSCO #Peacekeeping

About Awake at Night
Hosted by Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, the podcast ‘Awake at Night’ is an in-depth interview series focusing on remarkable United Nations staff members who dedicate their career to helping people in parts of the world where they have the hardest lives – from war zones and displacement camps to areas hit by disasters and the devastation of climate change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4kyNmB3CyQ