Source: United Nations (Video News)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Secretary-General/Africa Dialogue
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Sudan
South Sudan
Cyprus
Security Council
Haiti – Hurricane Season
International Days
Programming Note – Monday
Deputy Secretary-General/Travels
SECRETARY-GENERAL/AFRICA DIALOGUE
The Secretary-General will speak at the Africa Dialogue at 3 pm today and will focus on reparations, which is also the African Union’s theme for 2025.
He will say that for too long, the colossal injustices inflicted by enslavement, the transatlantic slave trade, and colonialism have been left unacknowledged and unaddressed.
And he will argue that reparatory justice frameworks are critical – to redress historic wrongs, address today’s challenges, and ensure the rights and dignity of all.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
Today, in Tajikistan, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed participated in the High-Level International Conference on Glacier Preservation, taking place in Dushanbe. She underscored the urgent need to preserve glaciers and keep the 1.5°C climate target within reach — not only to protect ecosystems and water sources, but to ensure the livelihoods of people and prospering communities.
The Deputy Secretary-General called for bold, coordinated action ahead of COP30 rooted in cooperation, solidarity, and science. She later held a series of bilateral meetings with senior government officials, delegations, and youth constituents. She also met with the UN Country Team to acknowledge the UN’s continued support in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals in Tajikistan.
Tomorrow, the Deputy Secretary-General will travel to Marrakech, Morocco, to attend the 2025 Ibrahim Governance Weekend.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Turning to the situation in Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell says that the catastrophic situation in Gaza is the worst it has been since the war began.
Strikes have continued across Gaza, particularly in North Gaza, where the last remaining partially functioning hospital, Al Awda, was forced to evacuate last night after repeated strikes on and around the facility in recent days. Attacks also continued farther south in Deir al Balah, in areas of Al Bureij and An Nuseirat camps.
IHH, an international aid organization that runs community kitchens and nutrition points, reported on Wednesday that five of its workers had been killed and two injured in the previous two days.
OCHA underscores once again that civilians, including aid workers, must always be protected.
Displacement continued across Gaza, with nearly 200,000 people displaced in the last two weeks alone. Yesterday, Israeli authorities issued a renewed displacement order covering about 30 per cent of Gaza’s total territory in North Gaza, eastern parts of Gaza City and Deir al Balah.
To date, displacement orders have covered the entirety of the northernmost and southernmost governorates, as well as the eastern parts of each of the three governorates in between. Partners note that the limited movement of people observed in recent days appears to be driven by the search for food and necessities, rather than displacement orders.
The UN and its humanitarian partners continue to provide support to people in need, despite the immense challenges on the ground and the crippling restrictions on the amount and type of assistance being allowed into Gaza. Yesterday, the UN and the humanitarian partners only managed to collect five truckloads of cargo from the Palestinian side of Kerem Shalom. The other 60 trucks had to return to the crossing due to intense hostilities in the area.
Meanwhile in Gaza City, our partners working to address shelter needs managed to distribute 45 emergency shelter kits to families as part of a pilot initiative aimed at pooling resources to respond to some of the most critical needs.
Humanitarian needs have exploded in Gaza following nearly 80 days of a total blockade of all supplies.
The limited amounts of aid now entering the Strip are nowhere near sufficient to support 2.1 million people in desperate need of assistance.
As conditions on the ground further deteriorate and public order and safety break down, looting incidents continue to be reported. Today, a group of armed individuals stormed the warehouses of a field hospital in Deir al Balah, looting large quantities of medical equipment, supplies, medicines and nutritional supplements intended for malnourished children.
Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=30%20May%202025