“Our peacekeepers remain on the ground, carrying out Security Council-mandated tasks, in these extremely dangerous conditions,” Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations said.
Briefing reporters in New York Lacroix said two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed earlier in the day when an explosion hit a UNIFIL logistics convoy near Bani Hayyan in Sector East, injuring two more. A day earlier, another Indonesian peacekeeper died in an explosion inside a UNIFIL base in Ett Taibe, also in Sector East, with a second critically wounded and evacuated to Beirut.
“We strongly condemn these unacceptable incidents. Peacekeepers must never be a target,” he said, adding that UNIFIL was investigating to determine the circumstances of the deaths. “All acts that endanger the peacekeepers must stop.”
On violations of resolution 1701, Lacroix said: “We have a multiplicity of violations of resolution 1701,” citing strikes in both directions across the Blue Line as well as the presence of Israeli forces in Lebanon. “There cannot be a military solution. There has to be a political solution. The framework is there for a political solution – resolution 1701 – to which all the parties are still committed, to the best of what we hear from them.”
Lacroix said the mission was in constant contact with Indonesia and that liaison with the IDF remained ongoing, “which enables UNIFIL to deconflict a number of movements, for example, for the resupply of positions or for support to the civilian population in the area.”
He reiterated the Secretary-General’s appeal to all sides to cease the fighting, saying only the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 by both parties would “enable a long-term solution to the conflict.”
The USG also said, “The women and men of UNIFIL demonstrate utmost courage and commitment to advancing international peace and security far away from home.”
An explosion killed two UNIFIL peacekeepers from Indonesia in south Lebanon on Monday.
UN Peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix strongly condemned the deadly incidents and told journalists in New York that the origin of the explosion has not been determined. The UN is investigating the incidents to determine the circumstances of these tragic developments.
UNIFIL Spokesperson, Kandice Ardiel, sais the ‘the situation is extremely volatile, extremely dangerous’ amid continuing hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah fighters on either side of the Blue Line.
Clearing mines laid at sea can be an ‘extremely challenging and very dangerous’ undertaking according to Paul Heslop, an expert with the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) which focuses on clearing land-based mines.
It is still not clear whether mines, which can sink vessels of all types if activated, have been deployed in the Strait of Hormuz, as part of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Louis Salas
Lebanon/UNIFIL
Lebanon/Humanitarian
Yemen
Iraq
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Somalia
Sudan
Ukraine
Haiti
Credit Ratings
Peacebuilding Commission
International Day of Zero Waste
Financial Contribution
Guests Today and Tomorrow
LEBANON/UNIFIL
In a statement we issued yesterday, the Secretary-General strongly condemned the incident that took place on Sunday that resulted in the death of an Indonesian peacekeeper serving with the United Nations Interim Peacekeeping Force in Southern Lebanon, UNIFIL.
Our colleague who died in the line of duty yesterday was Cadet Fahrizal Rambe, and that took place in Taibe. His colleague Private Rico Pramudia was seriously injured and is being treated in a hospital in Beirut.
We extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the fallen peacekeeper, as well as to the Government and people of Indonesia. We also wish a full and swift recovery to the injured peacekeeper.
And as you are aware, there was another incident today, in Bani Hayyan, in Sector East, where there are reports of further casualties of UN peacekeepers. At this point, we are seeking further information from our colleagues on the ground, who, as you can imagine, continue to work in extremely challenging and dangerous conditions.
Some of the injured were able to be extracted today, but we were not able to access the scene to extract two others due to the lack of security guarantees. Following coordination with the Lebanese and Israeli authorities, a team is on the way to the scene now. We will update you as soon as we have more information but I know Jean-Pierre Lacroix will also have more information for you.
As you know, UNIFIL peacekeepers have been the subject of aggressive behaviour, intimidation and threats and this must stop immediately.
This Saturday, a UNIFIL convoy traveling along the coastal road near our headquarters in Naqura, in Sector West, was subjected to six warning shots fired by IDF elements stationed nearby, resulting in some small arms impact on one of our vehicles.
On their way back, a Merkava tank fired its main gun, with the shell exploding just 15 meters of a vehicle of the UNIFIL’s Quick Reaction Force convoy. The vehicle suffered minor damage but was able to continue its movement.
Once again, the Secretary-General calls on all to uphold their obligations under international law and to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property at all times.
Attacks on peacekeepers are a grave violation of international humanitarian law and of Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006) and may amount to war crimes. There will need to be accountability.
We urge the parties to de-escalate immediately and fully adhere to their obligations under Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and to avail themselves of the existing mechanisms.
LEBANON/HUMANITARIAN
On the humanitarian front in Lebanon, attacks on healthcare are continuing at an alarming rate.
According to the World Health Organization, seven incidents were recorded over the weekend alone, killing at least nine health workers on duty. In southern Lebanon, strikes also hit ambulances, including vehicles transporting casualties from an earlier attack in Kfar Sir in Nabatieh governorate.
Since the escalation began, 87 attacks on healthcare have killed about 52 health workers and injured 126 others. The Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, as well as the WHO Representative, Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar, continue to call for the protection of health workers and health facilities and first responders and they issued a joint statement over the weekend to that effect.
We and our partners continue to work closely with the Government to reach all people in need that we can reach.
Our health partners, including WHO, have provided more than 33,500 consultations to displaced people and provided essential medicine to over 22,500 people.
Once again, we stress that civilians, including humanitarian and healthcare workers, and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all time, a concern made even more urgent by announcements of expanded military operations in southern Lebanon by the Israeli government.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-03-30
Guira FM, known as the “Palaver Tree,” is a UN-supported radio station in the Central African Republic promoting peace, reconciliation, and the restoration of state authority. Broadcasting 24/7 on 93.3 FM in French and Sango, it reaches Bangui and most of the country with reliable, non-partisan information. With near-national coverage, it gives a voice to communities and connects listeners to major events in real time.
The world’s agrifood systems stand at a crossroads. With approximately 1.3 billion young people aged 15 to 24 globally, the future of food, livelihoods, and economic resilience depends on their participation in agrifood systems. At the same time, we need youth to drive productivity, innovation, and sustainability in agrifood systems.
In an era when stories travel faster than policies, the work of documentary filmmakers extends far beyond the screen. This session will explore how documentary filmmaking can accelerate progress on the SDGs by turning urgent global challenges into stories that mobilize awareness, financing, and action. Through diverse examples spanning environmental innovation, economic justice, youth leadership and human rights, speakers will highlight how filmmakers leverage global streaming platforms to reach millions.
Speakers:
Farhoud Meybodi, Founder/Filmmaker, Ritual Arts
Tobias Deml, Director, Gaming Wall St on HBO Max
Sarah Kuck, Director, 100 Ways to Catch Wind
Moderator:
William Nix, Co-Executive Director, SIE (Social Impact Entertainment) Society
SDG Media Zone website: https://www.un.org/en/sdgmediazone
Cold and rainy weather, severe overcrowding, deteriorating shelters and poor water and sanitation conditions have created a high disease-transmission environment across Gaza.
Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Strait of Hormuz
– Security Council
– Lebanon
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Myanmar
– Earth Hour
STRAIT OF HORMUZ
The conflict in the Middle East unfolds and threatens to intensify, disruptions in the maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz risk creating a ripple effect impacting humanitarian needs and agricultural production in the coming months. While the Secretary-General is committed to making every effort to achieve a comprehensive and durable settlement of the conflict, immediate action is essential to mitigate these consequences.
To address these challenges, the Secretary-General has established a dedicated Task Force, led by Under Secretary-General Jorge Moreira da Silva, the Executive Director of UNOPS, the UN Office of Project Services. This Task Force will also include representatives from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and the International Chamber of Commerce.
Additional entities may be invited to participate as needed. The primary focus of this Task Force is to develop and propose technical mechanisms specifically designed to meet humanitarian needs in the Strait of Hormuz.
Drawing inspiration from relevant UN initiatives, including the UN Verification, Inspection and Monitoring Mechanism for Yemen, the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and the existing UN2720 Mechanism for Gaza, this new mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz aims to facilitate fertilizer trade, including the movement of related raw materials. The mechanism’s operationalization will be done in close consultation with relevant Member States, with full respect for national sovereignty and established international legal frameworks.
If successful, it would also create confidence among Member States on the diplomatic approach to the conflict and constitute a valuable step towards a wider political settlement.
As part of his broader peacemaking mandate, the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Jean Arnault, will lead the political engagement with relevant Member States, supported by members of the Task Force.
SECURITY COUNCIL
The Security Council held this morning held closed consultations concerning the ongoing attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran, including educational and health facilities. Our Assistant Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Khaled Khiari, briefed, as well as Gemma Connell, on behalf of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
LEBANON
Turning to Lebanon, I want to reiterate our deep concern about the escalating rhetoric, the escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
The territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon must be respected. The Lebanese Government’s authority to have the monopoly on the use of force and the use of arms throughout its territory must also be respected.
Hezbollah must stop launching attacks into Israel.
And Israel must stop its military operations and strikes in Lebanon, which are hitting civilians the hardest.
As the Secretary-General has said, the Gaza model must not be replicated in Lebanon.
More than 1 million people are on the move in the country, that is one in five people in the Lebanon.
According to UNICEF, on average, 19,000 children are displaced every single day.
Israeli civilians on the southern side of the Blue Line have also been impacted.
There is simply no military solution to this conflict.
We urge all sides to avail themselves of diplomatic channels available to them and to recommit to the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701, which is the agreed roadmap toward a permanent ceasefire and a long-term solution.
Yesterday, our peacekeepers from UNIFIL reported over two hundred rockets and artillery shells fired from the area of operations towards Israel. The Mission detected 1,325 trajectories from the south to the north of the Blue Line. That is the highest number since 2 March.
Peacekeepers recorded a high volume of artillery exchanges in the area of operations and observed 16 airstrikes, including in Sector East and in Sector West.
Amid the exchanges of fire yesterday, a bullet also shattered a window in the UNIFIL Headquarters in Naqoura.
An artillery shell impacting the vicinity of a UN position Al Qantarah in Sector West also caused damage to buildings on the base. No injuries thankfully were reported.
Once again, we reiterate that all sides must abide by their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and respect for the inviolability of UN personnel and premises.
For their part, our humanitarian colleagues are continuing to scale up assistance in the country, in close coordination with the Government of Lebanon.
Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-03-27
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Chief Economist Maximo Torero briefed reporters on the conflict in the Middle East and the implications for food security.
Speaking to reporters via video link, Torero said that the escalating conflict and the closure of the Hormuz translate directly into higher costs for farmers, adding that fertilizer prices have already risen sharply.
He took Middle East granular urea as example which climbed 19 percent in the first week of March, reach 590 US dollars per ton. Egyptian urea for example, is by 28 percent, he said.
The FAO economist continued, “because natural gas is a primary element to provide nitrogen fertilizers, this could also lead to a significant increase between 50 to 20 percent higher in the first half of 2026,” adding that this mean the farmers are facing “double choke.” He explained, “they have more expensive fertilizers alongside rising fuel costs, which are being used across the value chain to be able to produce the commodity that you eat in the market around.”
Torero also said, “now, what will happen? Of course, this will be affecting mostly the next season if this continues. And it will affect the yields, of course. And the effect of the yields is non-linear. If you use little the impacts are higher because the soils don’t contain the micronutrients. If you use a lot, the impacts will be lower.”
The chief economist said, “the medium-term scenario of a three-month blockade will affect all farmers globally, and then we will have different elements that could impact mostly in the next season. This is reduced yields.”
“And this will happen for the bigger exporters like the US, like Brazil, Argentina, Australia. But also it opens a new competition of demand, which will be the biofuel competition as they all go over $100,” he added.
Torero cautioned that this will activate competition of the month from the biofuel sector, though it will be good news for farmers, it will “be bad for consumers because prices will increase.”
The chief economist also said, “in the short term, in this month period, we need to focus on where priorities are and the priorities are defined by when the crop calendar touches and when you need to apply those fertilizers in soils.”
He further explained, “In this respect, the priority countries right now are Sri Lanka. Because this maha rice harvest is happening right now, Bangladesh, the boro rice season is also happening right now. India, luckily, the domestic fertilizer plant, which was operating at 60 percent has reopened two days ago. Egypt is a great consumer of wheat, so it’s a huge importer. And also it’s vulnerable in the short term. Sudan is also vulnerable and is facing a significant level of acute food insecurity today. In sub-Saharan Africa, the countries like Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania and Mozambique, they depend between 22 to 31 percent of fertilizer inputs. And in the case of the big exporters like Brazil, Argentina and the US, around one fifth or less of their imports of fertilizers comes from this region. But that means that this will be affecting the next planting season. But remember, these are the key exporters in the world.”
Torero also said, “we need to look at the other side of the story, which is the impacts of the countries in the region, which is Iran, where prices were already going up before the conflict. Now they are being exacerbated.”
He continued, “although Iran is not a food import dependent country, they produce 70 or a little bit more of what they consume, but they import the difference. But the costs and the prices are already skyrocketing because of the problems.”
The chief economist added, “the countries in the Gulf, Qatar, Dubai, etcetera are huge importers of food. And those are countries are which will be facing challenges because there is no vessels going into the location.”
“Remittances also will be impacted in the Gulf economies are a host of millions of migrant workers from South Asia and East Africa,” Torero said, adding that if this conflict continues to reduce their capacity to send money to their home countries, “this will affect significant amount of countries, which in some cases big number have significant share of the GDP is because of remittances.”
The chief economist advised that in the very short term – this month before things change substantially – “we need to find any other alternative of corridors, and we are working together with the UN on trying to do that.”
He continued, “we need to provide emergency balance of payments support to import dependent nations before planting windows. So these priority nations and we need to be very selective by avoiding distortion,” adding that “finance farmers to avoid liquidity constraints that will compromise planting these issues.
