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Source: United Nations (video statements)

“The safety and security of the maritime sector is fundamental to economic stability, sustainable maritime development and to livelihoods,” said Arsenio Domínguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

As the UN Security Council opened a high-level debate today (Aug 11) on emerging challenges to global maritime security, Domínguez said threats to shipping “are ever present,” noting that in 2024 nearly 150 incidents of piracy and armed robbery were reported, with the highest numbers in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, the Indian Ocean, and West Africa.

The meeting, titled “Maritime Security: Prevention, Innovation, and International Cooperation to Address Emerging Challenges,” was chaired by Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino as the signature event of Panama’s August presidency of the Council.

Panama Canal Authority CEO Ricaurte Vásquez Morales said the canal’s constitutional commitment to equal access “in times of peace or war” has helped shield it from geopolitical tensions. Over 25 years under Panamanian administration, the canal has doubled its capacity, expanded locks, and enhanced security, he said, with revenues reinvested to maintain operations and fund social projects in Panama.

INTERPOL Secretary-General Valdecy Urquiza warned that piracy and armed robbery are resurging in parts of Southeast Asia, with continued threats in the Gulf of Guinea, Singapore Straits, the Red Sea, and the Somali coast. He said maritime crime is increasingly linked to terrorism, with groups using sea routes to move weapons, operatives, and illicit goods, and pointed to rising cyber vulnerabilities as ports adopt automated systems.

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino emphasized Panama’s strategic location and long-standing role in maritime trade. “More than 80% of global trade, by volume, is transported via maritime routes,” he said, calling for “clear rules, cooperation, and respect” to safeguard global shipping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn-Q7_CzfwE

Source: United Nations (video statements)

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

Highlights:
Journalists/Gaza
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Security Council/Gaza
Lebanon / Israel
Sudan
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ukraine
Armenia/Azerbaijan
Afghanistan
Security Council
Steelpan Day
Guest Tomorrow

JOURNALISTS/GAZA
The Secretary-General condemns the killing of six Palestinian journalists in the Israeli strike in Gaza City on 10 August. These latest killings highlight the extreme risks journalists continue to face when covering the ongoing war. The Secretary-General calls for an independent and impartial investigation into these latest killings.
At least 242 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began. The Secretary-General underscores that journalists and media workers must be respected and protected and allowed to carry out their work free from intimidation or harm.

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
OCHA reports that in an especially disturbing update today, the Ministry of Health confirmed that the number of children who have died from malnutrition [since October 2023] has now surpassed 100.
The World Food Programme said that more than a third of the population is not eating for days at a time and acute malnutrition is spiking with over 300,000 children at severe risk. Additionally, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned last week that a mere 1.5 per cent of cropland in Gaza is both accessible and undamaged, signaling a near-total collapse of the local food system.
Yesterday, we and partners collected food and hygiene kits from the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing.
However, supplies were offloaded directly from these trucks [presumably by desperate people] before reaching their destination given the extreme desperation pervasive in Gaza today.
People need a predictable lifeline, not a trickle of aid. WFP says that just to cover basic humanitarian food assistance needs, more than 62,000 metric tons are required to enter Gaza every month, and so far, humanitarians have not been permitted to bring in enough supplies to support the survival of Palestinians there.
We can confirm that we collected fuel from the Kerem Shalom crossing yesterday. The Israeli authorities are allowing, on average, the entry of about 150,000 litres of fuel daily. However, this remains far below the minimum required to sustain life-saving operations.
For example, the Palestine Civil Defense warned yesterday that more than half of their ambulances have stopped operating across Gaza, due to the shortage of fuel and spare parts.
Israeli authorities must allow aid to enter through all crossings and via all available corridors so that we can deliver, at scale in a safe and dignified manner, to reach the most vulnerable, including women, children and older people.
A ceasefire is urgently needed to save lives. This would allow and speed up delivery of food for the hungry, health services for the sick and wounded, and shelter materials for displaced people, who have been forced to flee repeatedly since the onset of hostilities and that would also allow for the release of the remaining hostages who are being held in Gaza.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=11%20August%202025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3OYgZIXIKs

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Briefing by Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of Coordination, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question – Security Council, 9975th meeting.

"Mr. President,
The suffering endured by Palestinians and Israelis over the past 22 months has been nothing short of soul-searing.

Our shared humanity demands that this catastrophe is brought to an immediate end.

Mr. President,

I will address three matters today:

First, I am extremely concerned over the prolonged conflict and further human toll that is likely to unfold following the Government of Israel’s decision to expand military operations in Gaza.

This marks a grave escalation in a conflict that has already inflicted unimaginable suffering.

For over 670 days, Palestinians in Gaza have endured daily killings and injuries. More than 61,000 people have been killed, including over 18,000 children, and 151,000 have been injured, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, 50 hostages are believed to remain in Gaza – with those still alive held in unthinkably inhumane and appalling conditions.

Thousands of Palestinians, including women and children, remain in Israeli detention – many held without charge or trial, or the required safeguards.

A grim milestone has also been crossed in the humanitarian community: Over 500 humanitarian workers have been killed in Gaza since hostilities escalated, including at least 167 women.

Smear campaigns against aid operations continue unabated. As we approach World Humanitarian Day, we must insist on the protection of all aid workers.

Mr. President,

Second, humanitarian conditions are beyond horrific. We have frankly run out of words to describe it. Whatever lifelines remain are collapsing under the weight of sustained hostilities, forced displacement and insufficient levels of life-saving aid.

Hunger-related deaths are rising, especially among children with severe malnutrition. Since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023, the health authorities in Gaza have documented the deaths of 98 children from severe acute malnutrition – 37 since 1 July. This is no longer a looming hunger crisis – this is starvation.

Each day brings harrowing images of men, women and children killed and injured while desperately seeking assistance. The situation is untenable, especially for older people, people with disabilities, children without parental care, and widowed women.

Gaza lies in ruins. Almost everyone in Gaza has been forcibly displaced at some point over the past two years. Palestinians in Gaza have been forced into an area that amounts to less than 14 per cent of the territory, in areas that are not safe and are lacking basic services or shelter. Further expansion of military operations will make these conditions even worse.

Families in Gaza are living in insecure, overcrowded conditions, many without shelter. Eleven per cent of some 6,500 households surveyed recently by humanitarian partners were reported to be living out in the open. No organization – UN or otherwise – has been able to bring shelter supplies into Gaza since 2 March. The lack of adequate shelter is particularly worrisome as we know that winter is soon upon us.

Given the scale of repeated displacement and current living conditions, preventing the entry of emergency shelter supplies defies the obligation to allow humanitarian relief for the population in need.

The health system effectively is collapsed. Hospitals are not protected, doctors have been killed or detained, and facilities are working without sufficient medical supplies.

Water and sanitation infrastructure are failing, and social cohesion is unraveling.

How are the people in Gaza expected to survive in these conditions?

Mr. President,

My third point: The recent military ‘tactical pauses’ have enabled some positive changes in humanitarian operations.

Limited amounts of fuel have been allowed in, and on 5 August, Israeli authorities approved a mechanism for the gradual resumption of controlled commercial goods into Gaza. This has resulted in different types of food returning to markets and a slight decrease in some prices.

Our teams on the ground caution us that despite these developments, meaningful change for the population remains elusive, as humanitarian conditions remain largely unchanged" (…). [Excerpt]

For all UN official languages, please visit: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1v/k1vogrf1bv

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSD_OFtg4tU