Source: United Nations (video statements)
Informal comments to the media by António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, on his visit to Syria, Jordan and Cyprus.
Gaza, Peacekeeping & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (30 July 2026) | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Ukraine
– Middle East
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Lebanon
– Yemen
– Peacekeeping
– Central African Republic
– Democratic Republic of the Congo/Peacekeeping
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– Sudan
– UN Interim Security Force for Abyei
– World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
– International Day of Friendship
– Climate
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The UN continues to receive reports of civilian casualties, including young children, and displacement caused by strikes and shelling across Gaza. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stresses that under international humanitarian law, civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected and should not be targeted.
The UN and its partners continue to provide support to affected families through a system set up for a rapid, joint response. Last week, our partners received over a dozen requests for assistance and mobilized responses to 180 families whose shelters and belongings were damaged by shelling and fire. Many of the families were newly displaced.
UN partners provided emergency shelter materials, bedding, water containers, clothing, hygiene and dignity kits, and food assistance.
Meanwhile, OCHA and partners report that over the past week, approximately 30,000 metric tonnes of debris were cleared from roads, camps, displacement sites and public facilities across Gaza.
The UN Development Programme said that it recycled and repurposed about 6,000 metric tonnes of debris for soil stabilization, helping to facilitate safer movements for communities and improve access to humanitarian services. However, this is only a fraction of the more than 60 million tonnes of debris that have been generated since the onset of hostilities in October 2023.
Insecurity, access restrictions, limitations on the entry of essential heavy machinery and spare parts, as well as shortages of engine oil, continue to constrain efforts to clear debris.
LEBANON
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continues to observe Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace using both drones and fighter aircrafts, as well as military activities on the ground in south Lebanon. In the three days since Monday, peacekeepers recorded 80 air violations.
UNIFIL peacekeepers recorded extensive Israel Defence Forces artillery and mortar firing operations, along with multiple points of impact across both sectors and areas north of the Litani River. UNIFIL units also recorded extensive IDF operational footprint expansion, high density armored maneuvers, active engineering works, and direct kinetic engagements across both sectors.
Yesterday, UNIFIL observed IDF tanks firing four rounds into residential structures causing fires southeast of Houla and 11 rounds east of Ett Taibe.
On Tuesday, peacekeepers observed an armed drone launched from the vicinity of Al Bayyadah, which overflew a UN position, before returning to the same area later. Concurrently, peacekeepers at UNIFIL Headquarters in Naqoura observed one surveillance drone conducting a vertical takeoff from a building currently used by the IDF just outside the UNIFIL Headquarters.
Peacekeepers also faced several restrictions and impediments to freedom of movement across the area of operations, including several roadblocks.
UNIFIL’s explosive ordnance disposal teams also continue to discover and safely dispose of explosive hazards found in the mission’s area of operations.
On the humanitarian front, in the three days since Monday, UNIFIL, through its Liaison Branch and in coordination with OCHA, facilitated 12 humanitarian missions in Sector West and one in Sector East.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-07-30
Election of the next Secretary-General | SC President’s Media Stakeout | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Informal comments to the media by Zénon Mukongo Ngay, Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of July 2026, on the election of the next Secretary-General.
Ebola DRC: In the last 24 hours, 50 people have died of Ebola – Press Conference | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Press Conference by Julien Harneis, UN Senior Ebola Coordinator, and Carl Skau, Acting Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), on the Ebola response on the ground. They both briefed reporters virtually from Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“In the last 24 hours, 50 people have died of Ebola in Congo,” Julien Harneis said.
He said the number of cases is growing exponentially, doubling every 20 days, and that this growth is far faster than the growth in the response, widening the gap between the two.
“So, in support of the government, I’m calling that we step up, across the response, the United Nations, non-governmental organizations, member states,” Harneis told reporters.
“We need to massively step up our response, be it in terms of supplies, specialized supplies like personal protective equipment, staff, specialized medical staff, and logistics as well.”
He called on member states to keep borders open so that staff can travel into Congo to respond and so that supplies can move in quickly and freely, and so that colleagues can return home when they come out.
Harneis said the epidemic is worsening an already difficult humanitarian situation in eastern DRC, with a deteriorating food security situation and medical services degraded by the outbreak.
Skau told the briefing the situation requires much greater attention, calling it the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded. He said 1,000 people have died in the past two months, compared with eight months for 1,000 deaths during the West Africa outbreak – a fourfold increase in the pace of deaths.
“You may think that it’s just about treating the identified patients, but now this requires, from all the experience, we have a broader set of tools, and that includes food,” Skau said. He said patients cannot be isolated without also being provided food, health workers cannot work around the clock in dangerous environments unless they are fed, and entire communities under lockdown also need to be fed.
Skau said WFP has served some 160,000 hot meals so far and delivered food parcels to some 20,000 affected families who have been closed off. “You cannot force people to choose between hunger and health,” he said.
He said some 10 million people – comparable to the population of Sweden, his home country – are acutely food insecure in eastern DRC, with 3 million of those in IPC Phase 4 emergency levels of food insecurity, one step from famine.
Skau said the region lacks basic health care, with about a thousand health care centers closed in the past couple of years due to funding shortfalls, and some 400,000 children malnourished. He said cholera has also been spreading in recent months, on top of the Ebola outbreak.
Harneis said about 60 per cent of recorded deaths are occurring in the community, which he said is concerning because viral load is highest just after death. He said many of those caring for the dead in the community – daughters, wives, mothers – are young women, driving transmission within communities, and that many children under five are dying of Ebola.
Secretary-General in Cyprus
Source: United Nations (video statements)
UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited Cyprus to show his commitment to the Cyprus issue. There he met separately with Nikos Christodoulides, Leader of the Greek Cypriot Community, and with Tufan Erhürman, Leader of the Turkish Cypriot Community as part of his good offices mission.
Occupied Palestinian Territory & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (29 July 2026) | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Secretary-General/Cyprus
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– Haiti
– Central African Republic
– Security Council
– School Enrolment/Latin America
– Financial Contribution
SECRETARY-GENERAL/CYPRUS
The Secretary-General concluded his visit to Cyprus, and he is now on his way to New York.
Today, he held a meeting with the Greek Cypriot leader, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhürman. The meeting took place in the United Nations Good Offices Mission compound.
Following today’s meeting with the two leaders, the Secretary-General told journalists that the discussions, held separately and jointly, were frank and constructive.
He added that based on the discussions on the way forward, he decided that he, “would convene another 5+1 meeting, after adequate preparations on confidence building, methodology and substance, taking into account the convergences already achieved.”
Mr. Guterres stressed that the UN will work in consultation with the two sides and the guarantors, to create the conditions for the meeting’s success.
In conclusion, Mr. Guterres said that the UN cannot impose peace. But it remains fully committed to supporting the people of Cyprus in this crucial moment for the island and the wider region.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that civilians in Gaza face major public health risks, adding to the insecurity and displacement. Widespread rodent and ectoparasite infestations were reported in 83 per cent of displacement sites assessed earlier this month, and that is alongside sewage in streets, stagnant water and poor sanitation conditions.
In response, UN humanitarian partners are scaling-up rodent control this week. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and other partners are distributing nine metric tonnes of rodenticides every day, thanks to supplies brought into Gaza by the United Arab Emirates.
To reduce public health risks, sustained access to critical equipment and supplies such as spare parts and engine oil is urgently needed. It is also critical that partners managing solid waste in Gaza are permitted to reach landfills in areas where access is restricted by Israeli forces, that’s about 65 per cent of the Strip.
Access to water also remains a daily challenge for families. The UN and its partners are doing what we can to support hundreds of thousands of children and their families with access to essential water, sanitation and hygiene services.
In Khan Younis, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is supporting the construction of a central water well that is expected to benefit some 7,000 people. In Gaza City, the agency is joining efforts to clean up the Sheikh Ajleen waste water treatment plant, which served some 700,000 people before it was damaged in the hostilities.
On the education front, the UN Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT) and partners estimated this week that about 430,000 kindergarten and school-aged children, about 56 per cent of the estimated student population, were enrolled in more than 600 temporary learning spaces across Gaza. In some of these learning spaces, programmes are underway to help children catch up ahead of the new school year.
However, nearly half of school-aged children still lack adequate access to learning opportunities.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-07-29
Cyprus: UN fully committed to supporting its people – UN Chief’s Press Conference | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
“The United Nations cannot impose peace. But let me be very clear: the United Nations remains fully committed to supporting the people of Cyprus in this crucial moment for the island and the wider region.”
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres delivered this message today after separate meetings with Nikos Christodoulides, Leader of the Greek Cypriot Community, and Tufan Erhürman, Leader of the Turkish Cypriot Community, followed by a joint meeting at the compound of the Good Offices Mission in Cyprus.
“As Secretary-General, from the earliest days of my mandate, acting in line with the United Nations parameters, I have sought, through my good offices, to assist Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in their efforts to reach a comprehensive, sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue,” Guterres said. “The United Nations has consistently worked toward this objective.”
“This is the moment when all efforts must be made to rebuild trust,” he continued. “To that end, it is essential to redouble efforts to define and implement confidence-building measures that can make a difference in the daily lives of all Cypriots. I appeal to the two leaders to intensify these efforts.”
“Both Mr. Erhürman and Mr. Christodoulides assured me of their determination to continue to work in earnest with my Personal Envoy,” the Secretary-General noted. “Based on our discussions on the way forward, I decided that I would convene another 5+1 meeting, after adequate preparations on confidence building, methodology and substance, taking into account the convergences already achieved. We will work in consultation with the two sides and the guarantors, to create the conditions for the meeting’s success.”
“I would like to emphasize the need to respect the mandated authority of the UN peacekeeping operation in Cyprus – UNFICYP – both in the buffer zone and the UN-delineated ceasefire lines,” Guterres stated. “For more than six decades, UNFICYP has helped maintain calm and stability in a sensitive environment. Its continued effectiveness depends on the cooperation of all sides.”
“The United Nations cannot impose peace,” he added. “But let me be very clear: the United Nations remains fully committed to supporting the people of Cyprus in this crucial moment for the island and the wider region.”
Thousands displaced after border attack – UN responds #Sudan border
Source: United Nations (video statements)
UN Peacekeepers came to the support of 17,000 displaced people following a recent attack in the Central African border with Sudan. Men, women and children, once again, found refuge in Am-Dafock, where MINUSCA, the UN peacekeeping mission in CAR holds a temporary operating base, facilitating security, humanitarian aid and supporting State institutions.
UN Chief in Cyprus – Press Conference | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Press Conference by António Guterres UN Secretary General following his meeting with Leaders Cyprus.
On Wednesday, 29 July 2026, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, hosted the Greek Cypriot leader, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhüman, at his Good Offices Mission inside the UN Protected Area.
TRANSCRIPT:
Good afternoon to all of you, distinguished members of the media.
I want to begin by expressing my deep appreciation for the warm welcome I have received from all Cypriots during my first visit here.
Cyprus is an island of remarkable history, rich culture, and enduring resilience.
It is also a place where the beauty and potential of the present co-exist with the scars of a painful past.
During my visit, I have seen both.
But, above all, I have witnessed a deep desire among Cypriots to build a more peaceful and shared future.
As Secretary-General, from the earliest days of my mandate, acting in line with the United Nations parameters, I have sought, through my good offices, to assist Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in their efforts to reach a comprehensive, sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue.
The United Nations has consistently worked toward this objective.
We met in Geneva and in Crans Montana in 2017, in Berlin in 2019, in Geneva in 2021, and again in New York and Geneva in 2024 and 2025.
In this context, it was my duty to come to Cyprus to express my full solidarity with the people of Cyprus in their quest for a solution.
This is the moment when all efforts must be made to rebuild trust.
To that end, it is essential to redouble efforts to define and implement confidence-building measures that can make a difference in the daily lives of all Cypriots.
I appeal to the two leaders to intensify these efforts.
My Personal Envoy, Ms. Maria Angela Holguin, has been working with the parties – building on past UN efforts – and what she has heard directly from Cypriots themselves.
Throughout this visit, I have also had the opportunity to hear from many Cypriots.
Their message was clear.
They want progress.
They want to see their leaders make compromises and to walk that last mile towards a settlement of the Cyprus issue.
They want a future in which this island is defined not by division, but by cooperation, opportunity, and peace.
That was also the spirit of my frank and constructive discussions with the two leaders, both separately and together.
Both Mr. Erhürman and Mr. Christodoulides assured me of their determination to continue to work in earnest with my Personal Envoy.
Based on our discussions on the way forward, I decided that I would convene another 5+1 meeting, after adequate preparations on confidence building, methodology and substance, taking into account the convergences already achieved.
We will work in consultation with the two sides and the guarantors, to create the conditions for the meeting’s success.
In relation to the situation on the ground, I would like to emphasize the need to respect the mandated authority of the UN peacekeeping operation in Cyprus – UNFICYP – both in the buffer zone and the UN-delineated ceasefire lines.
For more than six decades, UNFICYP has helped maintain calm and stability in a sensitive environment.
Its continued effectiveness depends on the cooperation of all sides.
I was impressed by the work of the Committee on Missing Persons and the remarkable bi-communal efforts to respond to the anxiety of the families of all missing persons.
I was equally impressed by the work of the bicommunal Technical Committees, that are bridging the gap between the political track and everyday citizens, and finding practical solutions.
And I had the opportunity to engage constructively with members of the civil society.
The international communityalso has an important role to play on the Cyprus issue.
In particular, I count on the continued support of the three guarantors – Greece, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom.
Finally, I wish to once again recognize the significant contributions of the staff of UNFICYP and my Mission of Good Offices.
They are all playing critical roles in advancing peace and stability and the prospects of a peaceful solution.
I was pleased to convey my gratitude to them in person during my stay here.
The United Nations cannot impose peace. But let me be very clear: the United Nations remains fully committed to supporting the people of Cyprus in this crucial moment for the island and the wider region.
Thank you.
Gaza: Situation improved somewhat, but progress is far too slow – UNSCO Briefing | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Briefing by Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator at the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO), on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
“During my recent visit, I witnessed immense hardship amid continued displacement, overcrowded living conditions, widespread destruction, and near-daily casualties caused by ongoing Israeli military operations,” the UN’s Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process said.
“The situation in Gaza has improved somewhat – but progress is far too slow,” he said. “Recent weeks have seen some welcome progress in clearing solid waste from key areas and coordinating the entry of desperately needed sanitation equipment and supplies.”
“These are relevant steps, but they remain highly insufficient in the face of the immense needs on the ground,” he continued. Citing the latest Integrated Phase Classification report, Alakbarov noted improvements in food security and nutrition in Gaza but cautioned that “the situation remains highly fragile, and most families across the Strip are still relying on humanitarian assistance as their only lifeline.”