Category: United Nations

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Afghanistan, Ukraine & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (20 August 2026) | United Nations

Source: United Nations (video statements)

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

Highlights:

– Afghanistan
– Ukraine
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Lebanon/Israel
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– MONUSCO

AFGHANISTAN

Two national staff members of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, who were detained by the de facto authorities in the western city of Herat more than a week ago, were released this morning. The colleagues appear to be in good health, and we understand that the charges against them have been dropped.

The UN Mission has not been formally notified of the reasons for their arrest and detention and continues to follow up with the de facto authorities.

This includes seeking to ensure respect for the privileges and immunities of the United Nations, as well as the safety, security, and freedom of movement of the UN and associated personnel throughout the country, in support of the implementation of the Mission’s Security Council-mandated functions to assist the people of Afghanistan.

UKRAINE

The Secretary-General strongly condemns today’s large-scale missile and drone attacks by the armed forces of the Russian Federation on Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine, that reportedly killed and injured dozens of civilians, and caused extensive damage to civilian and residential infrastructure. This is yet another tragic example of the alarming pattern of escalating strikes against populated areas. The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned by the continued escalation, including onto the territory of the Russian Federation.

Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are a clear violation of international humanitarian law, wherever they occur, and must stop immediately.

The Secretary-General reiterates his call for urgent de-escalation, leading to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire and for a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace, in line with international law, including the UN Charter and relevant UN resolutions.

And in Ukraine, Tom Fletcher, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, who was in Kyiv today, said he was struck by what he saw: the aftermath of another deadly night for civilians, with homes, a hospital and a school hit. The continued toll on civilians, he said, should outrage us all.

We, along with our humanitarian partners, provided an immediate emergency response following the attacks in Kyiv City and the surrounding region, complementing the efforts of emergency services and municipal workers.

They provided first aid and psychological first aid, hot meals and construction materials, as well as humanitarian cash assistance.

Today in Kyiv, Under-Secretary-General Fletcher met with senior officials, including Andrii Sybiha, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and shared his condolences on the deaths from the heavy overnight strikes. Mr. Fletcher also met Denys Shmyal, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, and Denys Uliutin, the Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-08-20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6_RrA6zSzA

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Repurposing Fashion, Reimagining Peace

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Runa Ray exhibits "Repurposing Fashion, Reimagining Peace" at the United Nations, transforming discarded fabrics into interconnected canvases, diverting textiles from landfills while giving people around the world a space to express messages of peace. These canvases take on new life as dresses—bringing together fashion, sustainability, and the universal message of peace. On behalf of Fashioning for Social Environmental Justice (FSEJ), the exhibition is endorsed by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VYf5wGZuTrU

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World Humanitarian Day: ‘An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us’ -Presser | United Nations

Source: United Nations (video statements)

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said, “An attack on any one of us in our humanitarian movement is an attack on all of us.”

Addressing the press from Kherson, Ukraine, on the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, Fletcher said, “This day was born from tragedy-the Canal hotel bombing 23 years ago-but those tragedies are now continuing day to day, and we’re seeing them increasingly powered by a chilling alliance between Technological ingenuity and modern warfare, and the victims are civilians and they are humanitarians.”

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 2025 set another grim record for violence against aid workers, with 907 colleagues killed, injured or kidnapped.

While the death toll decreased slightly to 350 last year, the overall level of violence did not ease: 322 aid workers survived attacks that left them injured while 235 were kidnapped, according to Humanitarian Outcomes’ Aid Worker Security Database.

With 186 humanitarians killed, Gaza remained the deadliest context for the third-year running, followed by Sudan with 71 killed.

So far in 2026, 82 aid workers have been killed, 97 injured and 39 kidnapped across the world.

Of particular concern is the proliferation of cheap and adaptable armed drones that are putting lethal power into ever more hands and sending more explosive weapons into towns and cities.

In Sudan, armed drones caused 80 percent of civilian deaths in the first four months of 2026, hitting markets and health facilities.

In Ukraine, drones killed 80 civilians in April this year alone, while in the Russian Federation, civilians have been killed and civilian infrastructure damaged because of drone attacks.

In Colombia, attacks using weaponized drones quadrupled between 2024 and 2025.

Humanitarians are increasingly in the crosshairs of armed drones.

In March this year, an aid worker was killed in a drone strike on a residential building in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In just one week in May, four humanitarian convoys were hit in Ukraine.

"From Sudan to Colombia to Gaza to Lebanon, these cheap armed drones are extending the reach of war and allowing people to kill at greater distance. 1000 civilians killed in Sudan in the first five months of the year. These numbers aren’t static; they are going up, including the numbers of kids killed. So, we need States to uphold the law, and we need the companies who are manufacturing and supplying these weapons to understand international humanitarian law, to understand how these weapons are being used, and to understand their obligations and responsibilities,” Fletcher said.

He continued, “We need to ensure that if the global economy is being put as it is on a war footing, that we are also training these weapons in the right way, and that we’re also ensuring that technology does not outpace humanity, and that technology does not outpace accountability.”

This year’s global campaign, Act for Humanity, spotlights aid workers who have been killed, through interviews with their families.

Behind every statistic is a family whose world has been torn apa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwYkHk7fCf8

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Remembering a Champion of Humanitarian Action | United Nations

Source: United Nations (video statements)

For World Humanitarian Day, we look back at the legacy of Sadako Ogata, the first woman to serve as UN High Commissioner for Refugees. From the crises of Iraq and the Balkans to the Great Lakes region, Ogata put the protection, dignity and safety of people fleeing conflict at the heart of humanitarian action. Her pioneering work continues to resonate with humanitarian workers serving people in crisis today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8ZfiCOHHo8