Category: English

Highlights:
-Lebanon/Israel
-Lebanon/Humanitarian
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– UN80
– Deputy Secretary-General
– Food Insecurity and Malnutrition
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– ABYEI
– Somalia
– peace-building Fund
– Trust Fund in Support of the Gang Suppression Force
– EXPO 2027
– International Days
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LEBANON/ISRAEL

We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of yet another Blue Helmet, who died earlier today. The Secretary‑General expresses his deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of 31-year old Corporal Rico Pramudia, of Indonesia, as well as to the Government and people of his country.

Corporal Pramudia succumbed to his wounds sustained in an incident that took place on 29 March, when a projectile hit his position at Adchit Al Qusayr, in southern Lebanon. At that time, his position came under fire, amidst hostilities between Israel and Hizbullah.

[On that weekend, another incident], you will recall tragically claimed the life of Indonesian peacekeeper Cadet Fahrizal Rambe. As previously shared, preliminary findings of the investigation indicate that a shell fired from an Israel Defense Forces Merkava tank struck a UNIFIL position, leading to the death of [Cadet Fahrizal Rambe.]

In order to mitigate risks to UN personnel, UNIFIL has repeatedly provided the Israel Defense Forces with the coordinates of all UN positions and facilities.

The Secretary‑General once again calls on all to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel, as well as the inviolability of UN property and assets at all times.

As a tragic reminder of the dangers of these hostilities, With Corporal Pramudia’s passing, six peacekeepers serving with UNIFIL have now been killed and several others seriously injured amidst the recent hostilities between Hizbullah and Israel. These incidents are unacceptable and they must stop. We have requested that the relevant parties ensure these cases are investigated and, where appropriate, prosecuted by national authorities in order to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure accountability. Attacks against UN peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.

On the political front, the Secretary-General welcomes the announcement yesterday of a three-week extension to the cessation of hostilities arrangement agreed to by the Lebanese government and Israel. Mr. Guterres urges all to fully respect the cessation of hostilities and to cease further attacks.

Despite this agreement, our peacekeeping colleagues in the South did report a concerning incident earlier this afternoon. As a UNIFIL patrol was clearing a roadblock near the village of Tiri, in Sector West, an Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade a few metres from the peacekeepers. Roadblock clearance is essential to ensure the freedom of movement of all UNIFIL patrols. Thankfully, no peacekeepers were injured, and the patrol was able to continue on its work.

LEBANON/HUMANITARIAN

Moving to the humanitarian front in Lebanon, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs say that while the ceasefire has slowed down displacement, people are still on the move as families trying to return to their communities face damaged homes, disrupted services and continued security risks.

There are nearly 116,000 people that are still registered in collective shelters countrywide. That is down by about 4 per cent just from yesterday. These are the registered numbers. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced outside of these shelters, and they are staying with relatives, host communities and other makeshift arrangements.

In Beirut, displacement has increased as instability persists in parts of southern Lebanon.

Some families are going back briefly to check on their homes, but returns remain limited in the South, Nabatieh, in Beirut’s southern suburbs and parts of the Bekaa valley.

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

Turning to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, our colleagues in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs yesterday released a new mapping of access restrictions that Israeli forces have set up across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

It shows that restrictions on movements and access of Palestinians across the West Bank is tightening. On at least three occasions last month, Israeli forces installed obstacles, which can include checkpoints, gates, trenches and earth mounds, across Nablus, Salfit and Tubas governorates in the West Bank. These obstacles disrupt people’s access to services, homes and livelihoods and come on top of other restrictions that have been imposed for decades.

The four candidates so far in the running participated in a series of “interactive dialogues” at UN Headquarters in New York.

He said, “When I last briefed you in January, I underscored that Haiti was entering a decisive phase requiring sustained efforts across the political and security tracks. This phase is clearly now fully underway.”

On the political transition, Ruiz Massieu said, “The transfer of executive authority on 7 February to the Council of Ministers, under the leadership of Prime Minister Fils-Aimé, ensured institutional continuity at a moment of significant vulnerability.”

Turning to the humanitarian situation, he added, “Today, as the Council is aware, more than 1.45 million people are internally displaced, mostly because of violence, and an estimated 6.4 million Haitians will require humanitarian assistance in 2026. Behind these figures are communities under immense strain, where insecurity and humanitarian needs are increasingly intertwined. Without tangible improvements on the security front, progress will be difficult to sustain.”

On international coordination, Ruiz Massieu said, “The Coordination Mechanism established on 14 April — bringing together BINUH, the recently established United Nations Support Office in Haiti and the Gang Suppression Force — is instrumental in ensuring that international support is coherent, coordinated and aligned with national priorities determined by the Haitian authorities.”

Highlights:
Haiti
Trust Fund in Support of GSF
Lebanon
Lebanon/Humanitarian
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Yemen
Central African Republic/Peacekeeping
Central African Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Mexico
Unctad
International Days
Financial Contribution
Briefing Tomorrow

HAITI

This morning, at the Security Council, Carlos Ruiz-Massieu, briefed on the situation in Haiti. He said that Haiti stands at a pivotal moment, he said, where political and institutional progress is laying the foundations for a credible path forward.

Haitian stakeholders are clear, Mr. Ruiz-Massieu said, that elections remain the only legitimate path back to constitutional order and our political mission continues to support national efforts and to coordinate international assistance to help deliver credible and inclusive elections in the country.

But, without tangible improvements on the security front, progress will be difficult to sustain. As national security forces continue to be strengthened, the full and timely deployment of the Gang Suppression Force is essential to reinforce these efforts.

Mr. Ruiz-Massieu told Council members that with sustained national commitment and coordinated international support, it is possible to turn this critical phase into a genuine turning point for the country. He renewed our commitment to work alongside the Haitian authorities to help turn this window of opportunity into tangible progress towards restoring security and re-establishing democratic institutions.

TRUST FUND IN SUPPORT OF GSF

The State of Qatar has confirmed a pledge of $30 million to the UN Trust Fund in support of the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), with $10 million to be paid annually over 3 years.

We thank the State of Qatar for their support to the Gang Suppression Force and Haiti.

The Trust Fund has now received a total of $203.3 million, with $174.1 million received in cash.

LEBANON

The Secretary-General was saddened to learn of the death of a second French peacekeeper in the attack that happened on 18 April when peacekeepers came under fire from non-state actors, presumed to be Hizbullah. Corporal Anicet Girardin, succumbed to his wounds in Paris yesterday.

Further on the situation in Lebanon, we condemn the killing of Lebanese journalist, Amal Khalil, in a reported Israeli airstrike in Tiri, in Southern Lebanon yesterday. We extend our condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Amal, and we express our hopes for a full and swift recovery of the second journalist injured in the same incident.

Following the strike, UNIFIL contributed to deconfliction efforts with the Israel Defense Forces to facilitate access for the Lebanese Red Cross to provide assistance to the affected journalists.

The Secretary-General recalls that civilians, including journalists, must be respected and protected at all times. He calls for a prompt and impartial investigation into this killing. Targeting civilians and obstructing aid are violations of international humanitarian law. He reiterates that journalists must be able to perform their essential duties without interference, intimidation or harm.

And as an update on the resupply issue I raised over the past few days, following further deconfliction efforts with the IDF, UNIFIL was able to resupply several isolated positions.

Briefing the Security Council on the situation in Libya via video link, Tetteh thanked the Council’s support of UNSMIL and the implementation of the roadmap, as reaffirmed in its 3 March Press Statement. However, she said that we are not where we would like to be in terms of progress on the roadmap.

She noted that some Libyan actors continue to disregard the expectations of the public regarding their participation in political processes, or towards exercising political leadership based on democratic legitimacy. Parallel structures have been established outside of the framework of existing agreements, which can limit the effectiveness of the UNSMIL process aimed at institutional reunification and establishing democratic legitimacy for political leadership.

The Special Representative also highlighted, “Libya’s national wealth is being absorbed into a distorted political economy that fuels unaccountable spending and weaponises oil revenues.”

She said, “this diversion of resources without a consensus on agreed national priorities weakens fiscal discipline and undermines the State’s ability to function as a steward for implementing projects, programs and initiatives that respond to critical public priorities and social spending commitments.”

Tetteh cautioned that the country is facing a “significant but potentially short-lived” oil revenue windfall. “This creates a narrow window of opportunity to reinforce macroeconomic stability and restore integrity in public finance,” she added.

In this context, the UNSMIL chief welcomed the signing on 11 April of Annex No. 1 to the Unified Development Program by members of the House of Representatives and the High Council of State under the auspices of the Central Bank and supported by the United States, “as an important step towards greater fiscal coherence.”

The Special Representative also stated that the Sudan Regional Response Plan, which covers Libya, is intended to support approximately 597,000 Sudanese refugees and host communities in health, protection, and food security, with an estimated financial requirement of $115.5 million for 2026.

The process for the selection and appointment of the next Secretary-General has been formally initiated by the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council through a joint letter dated 25 November 2025. The President of the General Assembly, H.E. Ms. Annalena Baerbock, has committed to guiding this process in a transparent and inclusive manner.

General Assembly resolution 79/327 on the Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly sets out the process for the selection and appointment in line with Article 97 of the Charter of the United Nations.

He added, “Conflict across the region in March put immense pressure on Syria. As of April 19th, nearly 300,000 people had crossed into Syria from Lebanon – overwhelmingly Syrian nationals – adding to the estimated 1.6 million Syrian refugees who have returned to Syria from across the region since the end of 2024. Returnees need food, shelter and other support. While the ceasefire between Iran and the United States and Israel holds, tensions in the region remain high. The risk of ongoing disruptions to critical supply routes persists, threatening to destabilize the fragile internal momentum and potentially setting back return and recovery efforts by years.”

Highlights:

– Middle East
– UN Interim Force in Lebanon
– Lebanon/Humanitarian
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Yemen
– Libya
– Sudan
– South Sudan
– Haiti
– Mine Action
– International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence
– International Mother Earth Day
– Extreme Heat ANd Agriculture

MIDDLE EAST

The Secretary-General welcomed the announcement by the United States to extend the ceasefire. This is an important step toward de-escalation and an important step toward creating critical space for diplomacy and confidence-building between Iran and the United States.

We encourage all parties to build on this momentum, refrain from actions that could undermine the cease-fire, and engage constructively in negotiations to reach a sustainable and lasting resolution.

The Secretary-General fully supports Pakistan’s efforts in facilitating further talks, and he hopes that these efforts will contribute to creating conditions conducive to a comprehensive and durable resolution to the conflict.

UN INTERIM FORCE IN LEBANON

The UN is deeply saddened to report that one of the two French peacekeepers who have been severely injured in an incident in South Lebanon on 18 April passed away at a hospital in Paris earlier this morning. A specialist dog handler, Corporal Anicet Girardin was 31 years old. He was seriously wounded when his explosive ordnance disposal team, operating under UNIFIL’s French contingent, came under attack while clearing a road in Ghanduriyah in order to re‑establish access to isolated UNIFIL positions. He succumbed to his wounds days after the death of Staff Sergeant named Florian Montorio in the same incident.

And as you will recall, at the time, the UN initial assessment was that the peacekeepers came under fire from non-state armed groups, presumably, Hezbollah, during this incident.

The UN extends its most sincere condolences to his family, to his friends and colleagues, and to the people and Government of France. Corporal First Class Girardin was the fifth UNIFIL peacekeeper to lose his life due to the current hostilities while carrying out his duties and fulling a mandate given to them by the Security Council.

If you will recall, a third peacekeeper, who was also seriously injured during that incident, he was also repatriated to Paris yesterday and remains under medical care. A fourth peacekeeper, who sustained minor injuries, has now returned to his post with his unit in southern Lebanon.

Attacks on peacekeepers are unacceptable and must be promptly investigated, so that those responsible can be effectively be prosecuted and held accountable. In this regard, the Secretary-General welcomes the stated commitment of the Lebanese authorities with respect to this incident.

As the Persian Gulf crisis continues, the clock is ticking for farmers who rely on fertilizer shipped via the Strait of Hormuz – and millions worldwide who depend on their crops, particularly in vulnerable countries such as war-torn Sudan.

In normal times, one third of global fertilizer trade passes through the maritime corridor located south of Iran, but tanker traffic has essentially come to a standstill.

In response, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres established a task force to facilitate the safe passage of fertilizers and related raw materials for humanitarian purposes.