A fast-spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has health workers rushing to stop transmission while the roll out of any potential vaccine is months away, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
WHO’s representative in DRC, Dr Anne Ancia, told reporters in Geneva that there are more than 500 suspected cases including 130 suspected deaths, but that only 30 cases have been confirmed in the country so far.
The agency is working closely with the authorities and rushing more testing kits to eastern DRC to identify cases of infection of Bundibugyo virus, a species of Ebola virus for which there are no vaccines or therapeutics.
Logistic inter-agency coordination allowed urgent critical medical supplies to be sent from Nairobi, Kenya to Kinshasa and Bunia in the DRC.
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Friends of Football
– Football
– SG Travels
– Mosque Attack
– Ebola
– Uganda
– Security Council – Ukraine
– Security Council – Middle East
– UNIFIL
– Lebanon
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– South Sudan
– Haiti
– Science Forward Podcast
– Financial Contribution
—-
FRIENDS OF FOOTBALL
There will be an event in the General Assembly hall this afternoon from 3 p.m. Representatives from Member States, permanent observers, particularly ambassadors, as well as high-ranking guests from the Secretariat and top soccer players, will participate in the marking of World Football Day. The event this year focuses on “Refugees and Soccer.”
This event is being co-hosted by Bahrain and Tajikistan, who are the co-chairs of the UN Friends of Football.
And starting at 5 p.m., there will be a soccer tournament taking place on the North lawn with permanent representatives, more junior diplomats, and a number of former professional soccer players as well as the President of the General Assembly herself. They will be competing against each other in regional groups, using a knockout system.
5 pm, North lawn. Be there. Wear your jerseys.
FOOTBALL
The UN Refugee Agency today announced its “Game-changing Team”, a symbolic team comprised of soccer players who have backgrounds as refugees or displaced people.
The team embodies hope, courage, resilience and the power of what is possible when people displaced by war and persecution are met with safety, opportunity and welcome. And it highlights the power of football to be more than a game; for young refugees it can be healing, it can bring hope, belonging. It also has the power to change lives.
This team is captained by UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Alphonso Davies, who was born in a refugee camp in Ghana after his parents fled war in Liberia. You all know that he is the current of the Canadian national football team.
SG TRAVELS
The Secretary-General is in Tokyo today. This morning, he chaired the biannual session of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, known as the CEB, which brings together the heads of all UN agencies, for better coordination across the UN system.
During these sessions, the CEB members reflect on current world affairs as they affect and relate to the UN system, while engaging in deliberations on “Megatrends Transforming the World”, as well as the UN80 Initiative.
Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will have an audience with His Majesty, the Emperor of Japan.
He will also meet with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Motegi Toshimitsu. Before leaving Japan, he will also hold a press conference at the National Press club in Tokyo, and we will of course share those remarks with you.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-05-19
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Friends of Football
– Football
– SG Travels
– Mosque Attack
– Ebola
– Uganda
– Security Council – Ukraine
– Security Council – Middle East
– UNIFIL
– Lebanon
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– South Sudan
– Haiti
– Science Forward Podcast
– Financial Contribution
—-
FRIENDS OF FOOTBALL
There will be an event in the General Assembly hall this afternoon from 3 p.m. Representatives from Member States, permanent observers, particularly ambassadors, as well as high-ranking guests from the Secretariat and top soccer players, will participate in the marking of World Football Day. The event this year focuses on “Refugees and Soccer.”
This event is being co-hosted by Bahrain and Tajikistan, who are the co-chairs of the UN Friends of Football.
And starting at 5 p.m., there will be a soccer tournament taking place on the North lawn with permanent representatives, more junior diplomats, and a number of former professional soccer players as well as the President of the General Assembly herself. They will be competing against each other in regional groups, using a knockout system.
5 pm, North lawn. Be there. Wear your jerseys.
FOOTBALL
The UN Refugee Agency today announced its “Game-changing Team”, a symbolic team comprised of soccer players who have backgrounds as refugees or displaced people.
The team embodies hope, courage, resilience and the power of what is possible when people displaced by war and persecution are met with safety, opportunity and welcome. And it highlights the power of football to be more than a game; for young refugees it can be healing, it can bring hope, belonging. It also has the power to change lives.
This team is captained by UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Alphonso Davies, who was born in a refugee camp in Ghana after his parents fled war in Liberia. You all know that he is the current of the Canadian national football team.
SG TRAVELS
The Secretary-General is in Tokyo today. This morning, he chaired the biannual session of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, known as the CEB, which brings together the heads of all UN agencies, for better coordination across the UN system.
During these sessions, the CEB members reflect on current world affairs as they affect and relate to the UN system, while engaging in deliberations on “Megatrends Transforming the World”, as well as the UN80 Initiative.
Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will have an audience with His Majesty, the Emperor of Japan.
He will also meet with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Motegi Toshimitsu. Before leaving Japan, he will also hold a press conference at the National Press club in Tokyo, and we will of course share those remarks with you.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-05-19
A fast-spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo# (DRC) has health workers rushing to stop transmission while the roll out of any potential vaccine is months away, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
WHO’s representative in DRC, Dr Anne Ancia, told reporters in Geneva that there are more than 500 suspected cases including 130 suspected deaths, but that only 30 cases have been confirmed in the country so far.
The agency is working closely with the authorities and rushing more testing kits to eastern DRC to identify cases of infection of Bundibugyo virus, a species of Ebola virus for which there are no vaccines or therapeutics.
Logistic inter-agency coordination allowed urgent critical medical supplies to be sent from Nairobi, Kenya to Kinshasa and Bunia in the DRC.
Thousands of displaced families in the Gaza Strip are living through escalating fear and suffering inside overcrowded tents as rodents and insects spread through shelters and displacement camps amid deteriorating health and environmental conditions caused by mounting waste and the collapse of sewage services.
Teams from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) carry out sanitation campaigns and pesticide spraying operations inside displacement camps and schools turned into shelters, amid warnings that health risks will worsen if the waste and infrastructure crisis continues unresolved.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement saying he was deeply alarmed by reports of drone strikes near the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Secretary-General recalled that he has consistently warned against any further escalation of the Middle East conflict.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was informed of a fire at an electrical generator near the UAE’s sole nuclear plant on Monday.
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
SG Travels/Japan
Deputy Secretary-General
United Arab Emirates
World Health Assembly
Iraq
Lebanon
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Ebola/Democratic Republic of the Congo
Somalia
Sudan
Ukraine
Protection of Civilians week
Guests tomorrow
SG TRAVELS/JAPAN
The Secretary-General is in Tokyo, where today, he attended an event at UN University with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Motegi Toshimitsu, entitled “Celebrating 70: Japan–UN Cooperation, Expo 2025 & the Future of Multilateralism,” held as Japan marks the 70th anniversary of its admission to the United Nations.
In his remarks, the Secretary-General said that he has visited Japan more than 20 times in his capacity as UN High Commissioner for Refugees and as Secretary-General. He has always found strategic cooperation and support that benefited millions of people around the world. The Secretary-General added that the spirit of working together for human progress was on full display at Expo 2025 and the UN Pavilion in Osaka in Japan.
Also on Monday, the Secretary-General held a meeting with the Prime Minister, Takaichi Sanae. They exchanged views on global and regional peace and security, including the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East, as well as on UN reforms.
Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will chair the sessions of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, also known as the CEB, which brings together the heads of the UN system’s organizations. CEB Members will reflect on current world affairs. And they will engage in deliberations on Megatrends: Transforming the World and the UN80 initiative.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL
Meanwhile, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, in her capacity as Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Goals Group, convened a meeting of the Group in Tokyo today, bringing together heads of UN agencies.
Discussions focused on leveraging the full strength of the United Nations development system to respond to the scale of today’s challenges and get the Sustainable Development Goals back on track.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
The Secretary-General said earlier today that he was deeply alarmed by reports that drone strikes set fire yesterday to an electrical generator within the perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The Secretary-General has consistently warned against any further escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, and this incident provides yet another reason for all sides to halt the fighting completely.
There must be no further attacks near civilian infrastructure, including nuclear power plants. Attacks on nuclear installations are totally unacceptable, a violation of international law and must be condemned.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is following the situation closely and is in constant contact with the UAE authorities, ready to provide assistance, if needed.
WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY
Also today, the Secretary-General addressed the opening of the World Health Assembly via a pre-recorded video message.
He said that the annual gathering is a vital opportunity for Member States to align and accelerate efforts to address global health challenges, in a context where challenges have rarely felt more daunting.
Over the past year, cuts to bilateral and multilateral aid have disrupted health systems and widened inequalities, he said.
The World Health Organization has reprioritized and recalibrated, while preserving core functions while providing technical leadership, operational support, and a trusted convening space.
The Secretary-General said WHO stands at the centre of our global health architecture, adding that it must be strong and independent, with ample and sustainable financing.
His full message is online.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-05-18
The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 17 to 22 May 2026. The theme of WUF13 is: Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities.
Video message by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, for the Opening Ceremony of the Thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13).
The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 17 to 22 May 2026. The theme of WUF13 is: Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities.
The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 17 to 22 May 2026. The theme of WUF13 is: Housing the world: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities.
