Source: United Nations (video statements)
Informal comments to the media by Dmitry Polyanskiy, the First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, on the situation in Georgia.
Georgia – Joint Security Council Media Stakeout | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Joint press encounter by the E5 with statement read by Ms. Ondina Blokar Drobič, Deputy Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations, on the situation in Georgia – Security Council Media Stakeout.
Japan, Palestine & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (18 August 2025) | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Secretary-General/Travels
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Lebanon
Ukraine
Sudan
South Sudan
Secretary-General/Flooding in India and Pakistan
United Nations Support Office In Somalia (UNSOS)
Resident Coordinator
SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
Today, the Secretary-General will leave New York for Japan to attend the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Yokohama and the UN Special Day at Expo 2025 in Osaka.
Mr. Guterres is scheduled to hold a meeting with the Prime Minister of Japan, Shigeru Ishiba, as well as other officials including the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Iwaya Takeshi,
This will be the Secretary-General’s seventh visit to Japan. It will highlight the cooperative relationship between the UN and Japan. TICAD is also a very important platform to discuss ways to support Africa.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that the situation is beyond catastrophic in the Gaza Strip. Amid ongoing hostilities and extreme hunger, more deaths are recorded every day. Hunger-related deaths continue to be reported, including among children.
Partners say that, last week, in the north and the south of Gaza, more than 80 community kitchens were able to produce some 380,000 meals each day. Back in April, the daily tally of community kitchens was more than a million meals each day. Communities rely on hot meals once a day from these kitchens – but the amount they’re able to cook remains insufficient to meet the needs of the population in Gaza.
The World Food Programme (WFP) said that its teams are doing everything they can to deliver food to people. But the supplies remain far below standards – less than half of WFP daily target.
The agency said that organized distributions, WFP-supported hot meals, and bakeries, depend on far more aid that is actually getting into Gaza.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza said that five people, including two children, died over the past 24 hours due to malnutrition and starvation.
To prevent such deaths, and as we’ve been saying repeatedly humanitarians must be able to deliver food at scale, and consistently, through all available crossings and routes to reach the population of 2.1 million people, half of whom are children.
Yesterday, eight out of the 12 missions requiring coordination with Israeli authorities were facilitated without impediments. They included the transfer of nutritional supplies and fuel to the north.
One mission was to replace a water pipeline in Deir al Balah, and that mission was denied. Three others were impeded but eventually fully accomplished, including the collection of food aid from the Zikim crossing and the Kerem Shalom/ Karem Abu Salem crossing.
Movement restrictions also included holding points and long waiting lines inside the Strip, hinder the delivery of aid and supplies to people who are in desperate need.
We have seen the Israeli authorities’ announcement that they will lift the ban on shelter supplies, which have not been allowed to enter the Gaza Strip in five months. This is a welcome development, as the need for shelter and household items has increased. UN partners estimate that at least 1.35 million people need emergency shelter and some 1.4 million need essential household items. This represents an increase of about 4 and 8 per cent, respectively, compared with just June, a few months ago.
However, we are also concerned that the announcement by the Israeli authorities comes in connection with the looming announced expansion of the military activities in the Gaza city. This would displace thousands of people, once again, into an overcrowded area in the south of the Strip, which is almost devoid of the most basic infrastructure and services, including water, food and medical services.
Since early March, when the Israeli shelter ban came into force, more than 780,000 displacements have taken place. Existing shelters have deteriorated or been left behind amid repeated displacement orders.
Yet again, we repeat that it will not participate in any forced displacement of people. The UN and its partners reiterate our commitment to serve people wherever they are.
All civilians must be protected, whether they choose to stay or whether they choose to move. Those who decide to move must have their essential needs met, and they must be able to voluntarily return when the situation allows.
We also need unimpeded humanitarian access across all of Gaza, including community-based distributions and supplies entering at scale through all possible crossings, as we have been saying. All available supplies must be let into Gaza, including through the northern crossings.
Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=18%20August%202025
South Sudan: Climate, Peace & Security – Joint Security Council Media Stakeout | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Joint press encounter by Security Council members who are pledges of CPS of Shared Commitments on Climate, Peace and Security (CPS) in South Sudan, led by Ambassador Eloy Alfaro de Alba, Permanent Representative of Panama to the United Nations, and President of the Security Council President for the month of August, at the Security Council Stakeout.
5 Facts – UNIFIL | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
UNIFIL is in south Lebanon to support Lebanon and Israel in the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), and to monitor and report violations of the resolution.
Climate, Peace and Security in South Sudan – Joint Security Council Media Stakeout | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Joint press encounter by Security Council members who are pledges of CPS of Shared Commitments on Climate, Peace and Security (CPS) in South Sudan, led by Ambassador Eloy Alfaro de Alba, Permanent Representative of Panama to the United Nations, and President of the Security Council President for the month of August, at the Security Council Stakeout.
Afghanistan: Four-year Mark of the Taliban Takeover – Press Conference | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Virtual briefing by Susan Jane Ferguson, UN Women Representative in Afghanistan, from Kabul, on the four-year mark of the Taliban takeover.
Plastic Pollution Treaty & other topics -Daily Press Briefing (15 August 2025) | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Secretary-General / Plastic Pollution Treaty
Secretary – General / Trip Announcement
Trip Announcement / Peace Operations
Senior Personnel Appointment
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Ukraine
Afghanistan
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Central Emergency Response Fund
Financial Contribution
SECRETARY-GENERAL/PLASTIC POLLUTION TREATY
In a statement issued today, the Secretary-General said that he deeply regrets that, despite earnest efforts, negotiations to reach an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in maritime environment, concluded without achieving a consensus. The Secretary-General welcomed the determination of Member States in continuing to work to beat plastic pollution and keep engaged on the process, united in purpose, to deliver the treaty the world needs to tackle these monumental challenges to people and the environment.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The UN once again warns that the already dire situation could worsen without a reliable, rapid, safe and unrestricted flow of supplies into the Gaza Strip. The UN and its humanitarian partners report that ongoing delays and other impediments, including bottlenecks at holding points and interference in the loading process at the platforms, are impacting our efforts to collect supplies from the crossings and bring them to people in need.
Yesterday, five out of 12 missions requiring coordination with Israeli authorities were facilitated without impediments. They included the collection of supplies from Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem and the transfer of fuel to the north. Four missions were canceled by the organizers and three others were impeded and only eventually fully accomplished – these included the collection of food aid from Zikim and Kerem Shalom crossings.
And on the starvation crisis in Gaza, more deaths are being reported, including many children, who are regularly admitted to hospitals for malnutrition. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that many healthcare facilities have run out of bedspace to treat malnourished patients. Access to healthcare must be restored immediately.
The UN continues to receive extremely disturbing reports of aid seekers being killed and injured. Between May 27th and August 8th, the Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah treated more than 4,500 wounded patients, most of whom reported that they were injured while trying to reach food distribution sites. People also report being injured in the crush of the crowd or being beaten and robbed of their supplies immediately after receiving them.
It is imperative that the UN and its humanitarian partners are enabled to deliver aid at scale, using community-based mechanisms to reach the most vulnerable.
Without these conditions in place, and if military operations continue or escalate, more deaths, forced displacement and destruction are inevitable, and this could prolong the ordeal of the hostages also being held in the Strip. The UN also calls again for their immediate and unconditional release.
One can only imagine that people in Gaza are gravely concerned by the potential impact of an expansion of operations in Gaza city. We reiterate that the UN will not participate in any forced displacement of the population. Fleeing civilians must be protected and the must have their essential needs met, and they must be able to voluntarily return when the situation allows. And if they choose to stay, they should not be threatened or put at risk.
And just to note that although the slight easing on the entry of commercial supplies has led to food price drops that we have been telling you, energy prices on the other hand have skyrocketed.
Cooking gas has not been available in markets for the past five months, and firewood has become even less affordable. More people are resorting to using waste and scrap wood as alternative fuel sources for cooking, which only makes worse health and protection risks, and causes environmental hazards. Partners working on food security warn that both the quantity and quality of supplies entering Gaza remain far below the minimum requirements to meet most people’s needs.
Full Highlihts: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=15%20August%202025
Why I’ll always champion Afghan women | United Nations ‘Awake at Night’ podcast teaser
Source: United Nations (video statements)
@unitednations
▶ https://youtu.be/6UQcxNLPAnk
Why I’ll always champion Afghan women, with Georgette Gagnon | United Nations ‘Awake at Night’ podcast teaser
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With her background in human rights law, Georgette Gagnon was once said to represent the conscience of war. Currently serving as the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, she has been devastated by the sweeping loss of rights for women and girls there.
“You used to see across the country hundreds of girls going to school… Now, of course, you don’t see that, and it’s heartbreaking. It’s such a huge loss for the entire society,” she says.
Afghanistan has one of the highest numbers of people in need of humanitarian support, and drastic cuts to humanitarian assistance affect access to critical care for millions. In this episode, Georgette Gagnon shares her hopes and fears for a country close to her heart, and reflects on a career serving in some of the world’s toughest places, from Syria to Sudan and Libya.
Life of Humanitarians in Gaza | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
UNICEF’s documentary Gaza’s Silent Threat offers a powerful and rare glimpse into the challenges of conducting an emergency vaccination campaign in Gaza, through the personal accounts of two humanitarian workers, Dr. Younis Awadallah and Fairuz AbuWarda. The film highlights the profound direct and indirect impacts of conflict on children’s health and underscores the critical importance of a well-coordinated emergency response.
UN Video interviewed the director/producer of the filim, Ms. Maria Fernanda Lauret of UNICEF in time for the release of the documentary and for World Humanitarian Day 2025.
The 2024 polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip was a collaborative effort of the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and countless humanitarian actors, health workers and social mobilizers on the ground.