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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC

SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES

TUESDAY, 21 APRIL 2026

PETERSBERG CLIMATE DIALOGUE    

This morning, the Secretary-General addressed via a video message the 17th Petersberg Climate Dialogue, which is taking place in Berlin, in Germany. He noted that the conflict in the Middle East has triggered the most severe energy crisis in a generation, and it makes one fact crystal clear: fossil fuels are not just wrecking our planet, they are holding economies hostage.     

The Secretary-General underscored that there is another way. Last year, he noted, clean energy investment surged to 2.2 trillion dollars worldwide – double fossil fuel investment.    

The Secretary-General pointed out that renewables deliver what fossil fuels never can: real and lasting energy security. But, he said, that requires action on three fronts. First, we must respond to the energy crisis without deepening the climate crisis.                                                              

Second, we must build the infrastructure that can deliver this transition, and third, it is time to mobilize finance at scale.    

SENIOR PERSONNEL APPOINTMENT – ESCWA  

Personnel appointment that I want to read into the record. Yesterday evening, the Secretary-General appointed Rania A. Al-Mashat of Egypt as the next Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, otherwise known as ESCWA.  

She succeeds Rola Dashti of Kuwait, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her dedicated service to the United Nations. The Secretary-General also extends his appreciation to Mourad Wahba who will continue to serve as Acting Executive Secretary until Ms. Al-Mashat assumes her position. 

She comes to us as an international expert in economic diplomacy, with over 25 years of experience in macroeconomic policy; central banking and monetary policy frameworks.  

For eight consecutive years (2018-2026), she was a Minister in Egypt on three portfolios: Tourism, International Cooperation and Planning, as well as Economic Development and International Cooperation. 

LEBANON/ISRAEL 

Earlier today, two UNIFIL peacekeepers who sustained severe injuries on Saturday were medically evacuated to France, following a decision by the French authorities. They have shown great dedication in the service of UNIFIL, and we extend our heartfelt wishes to them for a swift and full recovery. 

In southern Lebanon, despite the peacekeepers’ continued engagement with the parties, UNIFIL continues to face restrictions on its freedom of movement. These restrictions are affecting the resupply of some positions. We urge all sides to ensure the unhindered movement of UN peacekeepers so they can carry out their mandate safely and effectively.  

And on the political front, I can tell you that we are, of course, aware that a second meeting scheduled between Lebanese and Israeli representatives, expected to take place in Washington on Thursday.                                                                                                  

We welcome steps that would end hostilities and suffering on both sides of the Blue Line. As we have said before many times, there is no military solution to this conflict. Diplomacy remains the only sustainable way forward. 

We remain ready to support these efforts and continue to urge the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 toward achieving a permanent ceasefire and a long-term solution to the conflict.  

LEBANON/HUMANITARIAN 

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that the country continues to confront massive humanitarian needs. Hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced within the country, with inadequate shelter and limited access to essential services. 

In the first 48 hours after the ceasefire took effect, thousands of people left their shelters just temporarily to assess whether they could actually return to their homes.  As of today, more than 117,000 displaced people inside Lebanon are in 631 collective shelters. 

Behind these figures are families still struggling to meet their most basic needs, underscoring the urgent humanitarian needs for the country.

Since March 2nd, we and our partners working on water and sanitation have distributed more about 150,000 blankets and 115,000 mattresses, as well as thousands of hygiene kits and menstrual kits.                                                 

More than 3.5 million litres of bottled drinking water have also been delivered to affected populations. 

MIDDLE EAST 

Jean Arnault, the Secretary-General’s Envoy for the Middle East Conflict and its Consequences, is continuing his meetings in Egypt. Earlier today, he held further discussions with officials in the Egyptian Foreign Ministry and the League of Arab States. 

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY 

Turning to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, our OCHA colleagues tell us that although crossings into Gaza are closed today and tomorrow to mark Israeli holidays, UN teams continue collecting supplies from the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing. Today, this included sanitation items, tarpaulins, infusion pumps and family tents to be distributed to families in Gaza.  

Meanwhile, insecurity continues across the Gaza Strip. Our partners on the ground tell us that between 12 and 18 April, incidents such as gunfire, shelling and strikes increased by 46 per cent compared with the previous week, marking the highest weekly total since the October ceasefire agreement went into effect. The North Gaza, Gaza and Deir al Balah governorates saw the sharpest increases. �į 

Meanwhile, mine action partners have provided education sessions to tens of thousands of people across the Gaza Strip to help prevent casualties from explosive ordnance. However, addressing this threat more effectively requires the entry of specialized equipment and a full range of clearance and disposal activities.  

Restrictions, including limitations on the entry of equipment needed to dispose of explosive ordnance, continue to hamper the overall humanitarian response. �į  

Turning to the West Bank, OCHA reported today that during the first quarter of the year, 33 Palestinians have been killed and 790 injured by Israeli forces or settlers, while over 540 Israeli settler attacks caused casualties or property damage. 

OCHA reiterates that attacks affecting civilians must be investigated and civilians must be protected.  

Israel, as the occupying power, has an obligation to protect the Palestinian population, and perpetrators must be held to account in line with international humanitarian law.   

YEMEN 

The Office of the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen convened technical meetings in Amman, on 19 and 20 April, within the framework of the Military Coordination Committee, which brought together representatives from the joint Forces Command and the Houthis amid heightened regional tensions. 

Participants discussed Yemen’s fragile security situation and explored steps to reduce risks to civilians through de-escalation and sustained dialogue. 

The Special Envoy’s office said it is planning to convene all Committee delegations in the coming period, a potential step toward advancing military coordination efforts. 

SUDAN 

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says about four million people have voluntarily returned to their homes across Sudan in recent years, mainly to Al Jazirah and Khartoum. The movements are largely driven by improved security in areas of return and deteriorating conditions in displacement sites. 

Many returnees are arriving in places still deeply impacted by conflict, where basic services are limited, and safe housing and livelihoods remain out of reach. IOM says efforts to stabilize return areas are only just beginning, noting that more than two million additional people are expected to return to Khartoum this year alone. Working with national and local partners, IOM is supporting a shift from emergency aid to recovery, stability, and long-term peace. 

However, IOM Sudan’s Crisis Response Plan for this year is underfunded by $97.2 million. The risk is clear: without urgent funding, returns could stall and fragile gains could unravel.  

 DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 

Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the new Head of our peacekeeping mission there, James Swan, has begun his first visit to the eastern part of the country since arriving to take the mission’s helm. He is there to assess first-hand the security situation in the Mission’s area of operations. He will also meet with provincial authorities and relevant stakeholders, including civil society, women and youth organizations. 

Today he visited the UN peacekeeping base in Eringeti, which is located 50 km North of Beni. While there, he witnessed the Force's proactive support to protect civilians.  

During his one-week visit, Mr. Swan will also be meeting with UN colleagues to discuss MONUSCO’s mandate implementation. 

The Spokesman made a small correction to something said yesterday about the talks that took place in Montreux, in Switzerland, last week.  

Our peacekeeping mission in the Congo, welcomes the recent discussions by the Congolese Government and the AFC/M23 Movement toward the signing of the Protocol on Humanitarian Access and Judicial Protection. They encourage the parties to maintain their commitment so that this agreement can be concluded swiftly, with a view to alleviating the suffering of civilian populations affected by the conflict.  

AFGHANISTAN   

Turning to Afghanistan. Just to give you an update as we have not spoken about Afghanistan in a while. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that a humanitarian operation to deliver assistance to previously inaccessible areas of eastern Nuristan province was launched today. The UN is supporting this effort, which is being coordinated by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Afghan Red Crescent Society.    

Our humanitarian colleagues say that some 136,000 people in Kamdesh and Barg-e-Matal have been cut off from food, from healthcare and from basic supplies for more than six weeks due to insecurity and restricted access. Following sustained engagement with all parties to the conflict, our partners have started to deliver food, medical supplies and other essential items to people in dire need. The reopening of access routes is also allowing markets to recover and medical evacuations to resume.    

OCHA points out that needs remain high, particularly for food, healthcare and basic services, and we and our partners continue to call for safe, unhindered and unimpeded humanitarian access, in line with the most basic humanitarian principles.  

The delivery that started takes place as reports of cross-border mortar shelling between Afghanistan and Pakistan continue. Shelling in recent days has damaged a school, a health facility and a telecommunications tower in the Dangam district of Kunar Province. No casualties have been reported, but our partners warn that communities are deeply shaken. Health services have been relocated to a nearby private residence to ensure people can still access care.    

Our humanitarian colleagues add that civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools and health facilities, must be protected at all times, and must never be targeted, in line with international humanitarian law.  

SECURITY COUNCIL / COLOMBIA 

This morning, the Security Council held a briefing on Colombia. Miroslav Jenča, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Colombia and Head of the UN Verification Mission said that with the presidential campaign now in full swing ahead of elections on 31 May, the Mission is adding its voice to the call for authorities and all concerned to ensure a safe and peaceful environment, free of violence and free of stigmatization.   

Mr. Jenča said that Colombia remains today more peaceful than during peak years of the conflict. However, he noted that a number of rural areas are still strongly impacted by the presence of illegal armed groups, and their ongoing clashes over territorial control and illicit economies are bringing violence and hardship to entire communities.   

SECURITY-COUNCIL / UKRAINE 

Also, yesterday afternoon, there was a meeting on Ukraine. Khaled Khiari, our Assistant Secretary-General [for the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific] in the Department of Peacebuilding and Political Affairs, briefed and said that Russian attacks continue to intensify, with mounting civilian casualties and devastation across Ukraine. He stressed that we must remain steadfast in our commitment to ending this war, guided by the principles and obligations set out in the UN Charter.  

Also briefing was Joyse Msuya, the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and she warned that 10.8 million people require humanitarian assistance this year, yet nearly three quarters of the $2.3 billion needed to assist the targeted 4.1 million people remains unfunded.  

MIGRANTS  

The International Organization for Migration today released new data showing that nearly 8,000 migrants, 8,000 human beings, were reported dead or missing worldwide in 2025, bringing the total since 2014 to more than 82,000 people. IOM noted that despite declines in arrivals in some regions, the data shows migration routes are shifting rather than easing, with risks remaining high along increasingly dangerous journeys.  

Ahead of the International Migration Review Forum in May, IOM is calling for renewed commitments to protect migrants, prevent deaths and disappearances, and better support families affected by migration tragedies.  

UNESCO SITES/REPORT 

Today, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization published its ‘People and Nature in UNESCO Sites’ report with new data across more than 2,200 UNESCO-designated sites.  

The report shows that despite global wildlife populations falling by 73 per cent since 1970, those within UNESCO-protected sites have remained stable. However, 90 per cent of UNESCO sites face risks of ecosystem degradation, in some cases with irreversible impacts as early as 2050. The agency notes that a quarter of these sites overlap with Indigenous Peoples' territories. 

TRUST FUND IN SUPPORT OF VICTIMS OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE 

The annual report of the Trust Fund in Support of Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse has now been published. 

As you know, the trust fund is managed by the UN Secretariat, and helps to fund gaps in assistance to victims and children born of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel in peace operations as well as humanitarian and development settings. 

According to the report, which covers the year 2025, 130 victims of sexual exploitation and abuse, including children fathered by UN peacekeepers, have received dedicated support through the Trust Fund. 

In addition, over 1,200 people received information on risks of sexual exploitation and abuse, victims’ rights, and reporting and prevention mechanisms and 1,500 community members were reached through various community workshops.                                                     

Last year, the Trust Fund funded gaps in services in the Central African Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Liberia and South Sudan. 

Since it was established in 2016, the Trust Fund has received only five million dollars US. This includes voluntary contributions from 25 Member States and payments withheld following substantiated allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel. 

We thank those who have given but we need a lot more. Even in a challenging funding environment and amid competing global priorities, continued commitment and support by Member States are important as victims’ needs are ongoing.