UN Geneva Press Briefing: IOM, IFRC, OCHA, FAO, WFP, WHO, ECW

Well, good morning. It's almost— well, it's still morning. Thank you for joining us. We have a big room, big crowded room here, and maybe on this note, just wanted to signal that we are starting the regular briefing now. If I have the green light from the control room— not yet. Let's hold on just a minute. It is a bit warm in here. Yes? Okay, excellent. So thank you very much for joining us here at the UN Office at Geneva for this press briefing today, Tuesday, the 23rd of June. Apologies for the delay, certainly for a good reason. We just heard from the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, who delivered a major address on climate and energy in London, which we were streaming here in the press room here at the UN Office at Geneva. And among other things, The Secretary-General warned that the world is moving dangerously close to irreversible climate tipping points, underscoring the urgency of stronger action to keep the 1.5°C goal within reach. He also announced a launch of a Global Call to Action on Methane, urging governments and industry to rapidly cut methane emissions, particularly from the oil and gas sectors. This is our moment of choice. Our moment of truth, our moment of opportunity, the Secretary-General said. There are lots of rich quotes, lots of important information on the 7 points that he outlined in this very important landmark speech, which I strongly encourage you to read. You have it at your disposal. You've just seen the statement delivered live. There is obviously no embargo thereafter, but I wanted to make sure you saw that, and for good reasons. We are starting this briefing a little bit late. The agenda for this briefing is rather long, so I just appeal to all of you to keep remarks so much succinct, but we're going to stay on the subject of climate and heatwave. Very pleased to have with us here Mary Friel, who is the IFRC Senior Officer for Climate Policy here in Geneva. So, Mary, over to you.

Good morning, and thank you for the space and for joining us here in Geneva. We are all feeling the heat, but the reality is, for thousands of people across Europe, Extreme temperatures without action can quickly become a matter of life and death. That is why IFRC is urging people to take this heatwave seriously and to look out for those most at risk to save lives. We are speaking as another intense heatwave sweeps across Europe. Health authorities across regions have issued heat alerts as the coming days pose serious health risks, and for many living in cities, they are feeling little relief overnight. That's why we are encouraging people to firstly stay connected to heat alerts and act on advice from your local authority, and then critically to check in with family, friends, your neighbours, and people you know who are at risk to keep safe and well. While heat can affect us all when exposed for too long, we know the most extreme impacts are felt by the elderly, children, pregnant women, people living with chronic illnesses, outdoor workers, people experiencing homelessness, migrants, and people living in housing prone to overheating without access to cool spaces. And while we may think of protecting ourselves from blistering des outside in the hot sun, which is important, indoor heat is often a hidden threat, especially for people with limited mobility and underlying health conditions. That's why checking in with your neighbor, a loved one, um, who perhaps has restricted mobility, can make all the difference to act early to keep safe and well. Across Europe, the IFRC network has already mobilised staff and volunteers to help communities beat the heat with door-to-door visits, offering safe and well calls, handing out water, establishing cooling stations in cities, providing life-saving first aid, and sharing practical advice on how people can protect themselves and those around them. As we speak, in Italy, the Italian Red Cross is running a public awareness campaign and mobilising volunteers, prioritising house visits with older people who are housebound and people in migration and informal settlements. Here in Switzerland, the Swiss Red Cross are working with the cantons and municipalities with a focus on supporting people over 75 with safe and well calls and home visits as well. Whilst in Spain, the Spanish Red Cross are sharing simple actions that save lives, supporting cooling centers, and providing welfare calls. And last year alone, the Spanish Red Cross reached over 62,000 people, primarily those over 65 through welfare calls and home visits during extreme heat. These examples demonstrate an important point: early action saves lives, and we encourage everyone to act. Looking ahead and beyond the current heat wave, climate change continues to drive more frequent, longer, more intense heat, and this is becoming one of the defining humanitarian challenges of our time. Extreme heat is a major public health and humanitarian risk which need people, places, and partnerships to work together to protect the most vulnerable and to make our cities and homes more resilient to rising temperatures. The IFRS network stands ready to support governments and communities before, during, and after extreme heat events, and our volunteers are trusted members of the community they serve, reaching those who may otherwise remain isolated. Our message today is straightforward: extreme heat is predictable. We know who's most at risk, and we know what works to protect them. So with preparedness, community action, and sustained investment, many heat-related illnesses and deaths can be prevented.

Thank you. Thank you very much, Ms. Friel. Do we have questions for our colleague from IFRC? Yes, Robin, AFP.

Thank you. The, the things that your Red Cross societies are doing across Europe, these door-to-door calls and cooling stations, etc. Is that— are you using an existing old playbook, or are you seeing a new situation now that you're having to adapt to? So is this— that's what I'm asking— is this old, you know, an old format, or are you seeing something new here? Thank you.

Thanks very much. And so the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are integrated into heat action plans, which are led by governments and municipalities, health authorities, to have a pre-arranged plan in in place whenever early warnings do hit on extreme heat, that all actors and communities know what to do. And so we are acting within those heat action plans. I would say that everyone has a role though to play, and particularly for groups that are vulnerable. Public health messaging is available for all through local public health authorities, but really knowing which groups are most vulnerable and need an extra support is critical in this time. That's where the Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies focus on, particularly groups who may be isolated, who may not have family or friend support. And so to make sure that people are keeping hydrated, keeping well, and if there are any signs of heat stress, that action can be taken. This is deadly. It's often a silent killer, invisible, and heat is extremely, extremely serious for those with underlying health conditions that we had outlined. So we're working within that existing plan as heat continues to rise and the, uh, the length of heat waves extend, then the risk rises. So we would just urge people to continue to act, and even in the day or two after a heat wave ends, to continue to, to check in with neighbors and friends is also a critical time. Thank you for your question.

Thank you very much. Okay, further questions in the room? No? Online perhaps? No, I don't see that's the case. So thank you very much, Ms. Freeland. Thank you so much, and, uh, for being here and for your patience. Moving right along, we have— who's joined me on the podium, very pleased to introduce you to Piero Tommaso Perri, who is FAO's Acting Representative in the Syrian Arab Republic, who's visiting Geneva, who's based in Damascus, but he has some announcements on FAO's priorities in Syria. Over to you.

Thank you. Good morning, and thank you for the opportunity to brief you on FAO's priorities in Syria on the occasion of the Syrian Mine Action Partners Conference that is taking place now in Geneva. Syria's agriculture sector is at a pivotal moment. After 14 years of conflict, recurrent droughts, economic hardship, damaged irrigation, weakened services, disrupted markets, and widespread explosive ordnance contamination, —rural livelihoods remain under severe pressure. Yet, agriculture is one of Syria's most immediate pathways to recovery, with nearly half of the population depending on it and around 13.4 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity. With the food security situation remaining extremely serious, safe access to agricultural land is essential. Since December 8th, 2024, as of last week's update, 1,299 explosive ordnance-related incidents have been recorded, with 2,325 casualties. Agriculture and grazing areas continue to account for the majority of recorded incidents. Over the past week alone, 9 out of 11 incidents occurred in farmland or grazing areas, one of which killing 3 children attending to their herds. For many rural Syrians, cultivating land, grazing animals, harvesting crops can be life-threatening. Hence, explosive ordnance contamination is both a protection issue and a direct obstacle to food production, safe returns, rural livelihoods, and economic recovery. The link between Mine Action and agriculture becomes decisive. Mine Action saves lives by making land safe. Agriculture turns that safe land back into productive land. Together, they help communities move from emergency survival to recovery. FAO brings specific added value to this effort. In a context of vast contamination and limited clearance capacity, one of the most important questions is where to start. FAO supports prioritization by bringing agricultural, socioeconomic, and environmental analysis into mine action planning. This helps identify areas where clearance can have the greatest impact on food production, livelihoods, safe returns, water access, market recovery, and community resilience. With the generous support of Japan, FAO and UNMAS, together with the Government of Syria, are working to link explosive hazard clearance with agricultural rehabilitation. Once land is made safe, FAO supports farmers and herders with irrigation rehabilitation, seeds, animal feed, veterinary services, and technical assistance, making the nexus a reality. Demining protects lives. Agricultural recovery restores food, income, dignity, and hope. However, Despite its potential, emergency agriculture remains severely underfunded. In 2025, only 16% of the Food Security and Agricultural Livelihood Sector targets for emergency agriculture was reached. As a result, many rural households missed critical seasonal support, missing the planting season, losing animal assets, abandoning productive land and falling deeper into food insecurity and humanitarian dependency. FAO Emergency and Resilience Plan 2026-2028 aims to assist 9.8 million people and requires $286 million. It provides the framework for FAO's work in Syria— across time-critical emergency support, resilience building, recovery and transformative assistance, including the rehabilitation of demined land. FAO remains committed to ensure that land made safe can become productive again. Our pledge is to continue supporting Syrian farmers, herders and rural communities so that agriculture can provide food security restore livelihoods, support safe and dignified returns, and help Syria move from emergency to sustainable recovery.

Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Petty. Do we have questions for our colleague from FAO on Syria? Checking here— I don't see any questions. Maybe just take this opportunity to announce that the Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Claudio Cordone, did brief the Security Council yesterday, to which he spoke of the UN engagement with the Syrian government on the political transition, noting it's advancing constructively, though significant work remains. So this is statements that we shared with you yesterday vis-à-vis situation in Syria. But thank you very much, Mr. Petty, for being here with us, and good luck to you with your work back in Damascus. Thank you so much. Okay, very pleased to have with us Miss Maisa Jalbout, who is the director of Education Cannot Wait. Thank you very much for your patience. A very important announcement from you, and I know there's some links to what we heard earlier about climate change.

So over to you, please.

Good morning, colleagues. Climate change and crises are having a devastating impact on education, putting the lives and futures of children in the most affected countries at acute risk. Today, Education Cannot Wait, the Global Fund for Education in Crisis in the United Nations, is launching a new report, Breaking Barriers: Understanding Educational Exclusion in Crisis. The report presents a grim global picture of educational exclusion in crisis. It also provides new evidence of where educational needs are greatest, who is being left behind, and the barriers preventing children from accessing and benefiting from education. Our new estimates show that 258 million children—school-age children and adolescents—now have their education affected by crisis. Worldwide. In just 18 months, the number of crisis-affected children has increased by 21 million. But this report is about more than the scale of the challenge. The report sharpens our understanding of where educational needs are greatest and where educational exclusion is most concentrated. It finds that 182 million children live in the world's 20 most severe crisis settings, including 74 million children who are out of school. This means that nearly 80% of all out-of-school affected children are concentrated in 20 countries. This tells us something very important. While the challenge is enormous, we have a clearer picture than ever where needs are greatest and where investments can have the greatest impact. The report also demonstrates that educational exclusion is deeply unequal. Children affected by displacement, disability, and the most severe crises face the greatest barriers to education. One of the report's most heartbreaking findings is the deeper evidence it provides on disability-related exclusion. Children with disabilities continue to face significantly higher risks of being excluded from education. Girls also face additional barriers where crises intersect with poverty, displacement, discriminatory social norms, child marriage, and gender-based violence. For example, if you are a girl adolescent with disabilities in South Asia, you are 40% more likely to be out of school than a boy with the same barriers. At the same time, the report highlights a challenge that extends beyond access. Millions of children are enrolled in school, but they are not acquiring the foundational skills they need to stay on track and succeed later in life. Yet perhaps the most encouraging finding is that families have not given up on education. Even under extraordinary hardship, parents continue to prioritize learning of their children because they see education as the only pathway to opportunity. —a source of dignity and a foundation for a better future. That is why the findings of this report are not only a warning, they are also reason for hope. Drawing on evidence from more than 500,000 household interviews across crisis-affected countries, the report finds that financial barriers and conflict-related school closures account for nearly 80% of school withdrawals. This tells us something even more important: the primary barriers to education are not a lack of demand. Families want their children in school. The barriers are economic, structural, and political, not motivational. Children and families continue to believe in the transformative power of education. So today, we are calling on the international community to match the determination of children and families seeking education. We're calling on the international community to help us in 3 ways. Help us bring focus and attention to the children who are at greatest need—74 million children in 20 countries. Help us raise $600 million to reach 10 million children in the most severely affected, crisis-affected countries. And help us spread the message of our campaign: Hope starts here. Hope starts with education. We're calling on the international community to join our campaign and to come together on November 5th here in Geneva to raise $600 million to reach 10 million children over the next 4 years. Colleagues, the evidence is clear. We know where the need is greatest. We know who's being left behind, and we increasingly know what works. The question is no longer whether we understand the challenge. The question is whether we will act at the scale required. Hope starts here, where action is taken. Hope starts with education.

Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you very much for highlighting this important report. And I see that I have also a handout here which we've shared with you. So thank you so much. Let's take questions if there are any in the room. No. I think we overwhelmed you all with our agenda today. I don't believe there are any, but that was a very comprehensive brief. They have all the material and they know where to contact you. To you should there be follow-up. So thank you very, very much, Ms. Yalbo, for your patience. So just to let you know, colleagues, we had to shift the order a little bit. We're going to now turn to our colleague from WHO, Dr. Ayesha Da Costa, who's going to speak to the situation of— let's see here— newborn screening can prevent birth defects. So birth defects. Afterwards, we'll go to the situation of Ebola. We have 3 briefers on Ebola, and yet we have a couple more briefings on Sudan and also an important announcement from FAO and WFP. Sudhu, and I didn't forget you, Jens. We also have something from Jens as well on the surf, so lots more to come. But over to you, Dr. Da Costa, and thank you very much for being here.

Thank you.

A baby may be born with some conditions that are going to affect this baby for the rest of its life if these are not picked up early and managed. Some of these conditions may be visible, like club feet, or there may be others that are invisible, for example, hearing impairment or hypothyroidism. Newborn screening, whether for a visible or an invisible condition, in the first days of life can actually change a child's future. That is why WHO brought together countries and peoples from around the world to a global consultation to learn from countries experience, from persons and families affected as well, about how best we can implement newborn screening at scale to save lives and help children thrive. Our new report, which is being released today, focuses on exactly that. It is structured to help countries, particularly low- and middle-income countries, plan and implement universal newborn screening programs for one or more conditions that the country perceives as a priority. While many high-income countries have developed well-developed screening programs, many low-middle-income countries are yet to start these. Every year about 8 million babies are born with a birth defect, and 90% of these babies are born in low-middle-income countries. Therefore, these conditions are one of the most important but less recognized causes of birth— of death and disability among children, particularly in these settings. For decades now, low-middle-income countries have made remarkable progress in reducing death from infectious diseases. But as those deaths decline, another challenge starts to emerge. Birth defects are now accounting for a growing share of child deaths in many low-middle-income countries. In South Asia, the proportion of under-5 deaths linked to birth defects has risen from 3% to 11% since the year 2000. In Sub-Saharan Africa, this figure has gone up fourfold. This tells us something important: that the next frontier in saving children's lives is newborn screening. That is screening all newborns through examinations or tests to detect early conditions that children may be born with and ensure access to diagnostic and management pathways. Yet for millions of babies born in settings that do not have access to newborn screening, these conditions remain undetected till late, often when irreversible damage has already occurred. That is why WHO is now calling on all countries to plan and implement newborn screening programs for one or more conditions in their national health systems to ensure that every baby can be tested, diagnosed, and connected to care as early as possible. Countries are encouraged to prioritize at least one or more conditions based on their own country contexts. The new WHO report is grounded in the experience of countries that are already leading the way, particularly in low- and middle-income settings. Through a WHO consultation, Ministries of Health from low-middle-income countries came together to share what is working, what challenges remain, and how newborn screening can be successfully integrated into routine health services. Persons affected and their families also participated to tell us how systems can work better for them. What emerged was a clear message: Progress is possible even in resource-constrained settings when screening is linked to diagnosis, treatment, referral systems, and long-term care. Because newborn screening is more than just a test or an examination. It is an opportunity, an opportunity to detect a serious condition before symptoms appear, an opportunity to prevent disability. And in some cases an opportunity to save a child's life. Countries are already proving what is possible. In the Philippines, newborn screening now reaches almost every baby in the country. In Kerala, in India, babies are born with congenital heart defects are rapidly identified and transported to life-saving treatment. In Uganda, newborn screening is helping infants with sickle cell disease access care before complications start to develop. The lesson is clear: newborn screening is one of the best investments a country can make in the future of its children, because every child deserves the chance not just to survive but also to thrive. And where a child is born should never determine whether a treatable condition is detected in time. Thank you all.

Thank you very much, Dr. Da Costa. Very important findings indeed. Let's see if there are questions. Okay. I should mention that Dr. Da Costa— I neglected to mention this beginning— is a scientist for Newborn Department of Sexual Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent at the World Health Organization. So did you want to add something, Christian?

Yes. Just thank you, Rolando.

Maybe just on the embargo, the report was sent to you all and the embargo lifted already at the 11 o'clock, so everything is free now.

Speaking notes have also been shared.

Thank you so very much. I just want to double-check, no questions? Okay. Well, thank you again, Dr. Da Costa, and thank you for being here with us at this press briefing. Okay. May I kindly ask our briefers on Ebola to all join me here on the podium? There are a few WHO colleagues, IOM colleagues, and IFRC colleague. If you could join us here, we'll make sure— Iwad Mahmoud, yep. Sorry, just give us a second as we arrange the nameplates and seating arrangement. Sure, you can please, by all means. And right afterwards, we will go to our colleague, Saif from OHCHR, on Sudan. Just stay tuned for that, as well as Jens in the room and our colleagues from FAO and WFP. One who I should mention is joining us from Niger, who I thank for your patience. So perhaps let me just introduce to you Ms. Daniels, Ogotu Daniels, who's the IOM Deputy Director-General for Operations. And thank you very, very much for being here and thank you for your patience. After Ms. Daniels, we'll have colleagues from WHO, and who am I missing? Okay, WHO, do we have anyone online? Just making sure I have the agenda straight. Thereafter, we'll go to maybe our colleague from WHO, Dr. Mahmoud, who is Director of Health Emergency Alert and Response, and then Paolo from IFRC is also joining us on the podium. Ms. Daniels, over to you.

Thank you very much. In the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Everyday life has become fraught with risk. The journey to feed your family or earn a living can also become a journey into danger. Families are carrying immense burdens. The virus has become more than a health crisis. It touches every aspect of daily life, bringing uncertainty and fear. For communities already affected by conflict and displacement, This outbreak is not occurring in isolation. It's layered onto an already difficult reality, deepening fear and stretching resilience to its limits. This outbreak is centered on areas where people cross borders every day. This is why we must get ahead of the virus. Responding effectively requires reaching communities affected by conflict, displacement, and insecurity. It requires maintaining surveillance where formal and informal cross-border movements continue. It requires building trust where fear, misinformation, and previous experiences have led communities to question public health interventions. In some areas, health facilities and response teams have come under attack. Further complicating efforts to identify cases, trace contacts, and interrupt transmission. One missed case can change everything, says Blake David, a national medical officer with IOM at Nimule point of entry in South Sudan, where teams screen thousands of travelers daily in a highly mobile environment. Cross-border transmission underscores the need to maintain safe and monitored movement without weakening surveillance, while insecurity and community mistrust continue to affect operations. Quarantine, isolation, and infection prevention capacities also require further support to contain the spread. These realities demand resources that match the scale and complexity of the situation. Today, IOM, the UN migration agency, is launching a multi-country preparedness and response plan seeking $55.8 million to support coordinated action across 11 countries over the next 6 months. To date, more than $20 million has been received. Leaving a current funding gap of approximately $35 million. The appeal will strengthen border health surveillance and mobility tracking, improve cross-border coordination, and support community engagement and preparedness in high-risk and displacement settings with a focus on protecting vulnerable and mobile populations and reinforcing frontline response response capacity. Since the start of the response, we have screened over 1 million travelers at key points of entry and along major mobility corridors. Our teams are mapping where populations move, supporting governments to strengthen surveillance systems, and working directly with communities to ensure that information reaches people in ways that are credible, timely, and actionable. This work is being carried out alongside partners including national authorities, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, WHO, and others. The alignment between regional leadership and operational response is one of our strongest assets and remains essential to preventing further spread. The funding requested today reflects what is required to sustain and expand these efforts across the region. This appeal reflects the scale of the challenge ahead. Communities need protection, countries at risk need support, and preparedness efforts must keep pace with the movement of people across the region. The consequences of underinvestment are clear. When funding falls short, diseases are detected later, surveillance Health systems weaken, community outreach is disrupted, and preparedness gaps grow, allowing outbreaks to spread faster than the response. What is needed in order for us to get ahead of the outbreak is a collective commitment to ensure that the effort is now fully resourced.

I thank you. Thank you very much, Ms. Daniels, for those important messages. We're going to move now to Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, Director of Health Emergency Emergency Alert and Response at WHO.

Over to you.

Thank you so much and good morning. I returned on Friday from one month in the Democratic Republic of Congo working alongside IFRC, IOM, WHO, and partners under the government leadership-led response. I was based in Bunia with missions to neighboring health zones, Nizi, Yakunde, Rawambara, and Bunia's several areas, including the large IDP camp that was just highlighted. Over 900,000 internally displaced population live in Ituri. And I'd like to reiterate again the point raised by OAM, how important it is to reach this vulnerable population. I will give an overview of the epidemic, the challenges, and how the response is advancing. Since I last briefed you on 9th June from Bunia, the outbreak continued to expand. As reported by the Minister of Health, as of yesterday there are 1,048 confirmed cases reported, of which 267 deaths. This is the largest number of confirmed cases in the first month of an Ebola disease outbreak in Africa. It took 78 days to reach 250 deaths during the 2014 and 2016 West Africa outbreak. Outbreak. In the previous outbreak, 2018-19, it took 130 days, but for this outbreak it only took 37 days. Just portraying the scale, the scope, and the intensity of transmission. Coming back for the media day, 1,000, although it's not an epidemiological number, but it just shows the level of surveillance. For this outbreak, it took 32 days to achieve, to reach the sad number of 1,000 cases. In the previous outbreak, it was 229 days, and the largest Africa Ebola outbreak, it was 116 days. The days are not important. What is important is we need to scale up, and this outbreak is moving faster than as we can. Each health zone I visited and each area within the health zones has a different dynamics, from internal displaced population to communities that doesn't trust the response, to areas that we need to do more and more in security, in accessibility. So the trends are changing and areas are increasing. We haven't had any cases in South Kivu for over 3 weeks. The response needs to expand to keep pace with expanding outbreak. This is beginning to happen. For example, the number of treatment beds has increased over the last 2 weeks, going from a handful to over 500 beds across 19 health zones. I visited several centers, saw the partners working with the local health workers, saw various sick patients and those who had recovered. Surveillance has been scaled up, and the laboratory capacity has gone from 30 tests a day at the start of this outbreak in Kinshasa to now over 2,000 tests tests per day through a network of 8 decentralized labs across Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu. It was great pride I saw this new laboratory start to function after WHO was asked to bring in supply along with Africa CDC and facilitate the training and deployment of provisional staff by INRB under the leadership of Professor Placid. More and more communities are aware of the risk of Ebola and asking for tools to support, to protect themselves. What needs to be done? Surveillance still needs to scale up so that we can know where areas not reporting cases. We know what we know, but we also need to find out if there are silent areas. The current treatment centers are coming under pressure with 84% of the beds currently occupied. WHO is working with clinical care partners MSF, ALINMA, IMST, Samaritan's Purse, and all the long list who have been providing care before this outbreak happened and will continue to all the health cluster partners working there. This needs engineering, logistics skills to be built and supply them, the identification and training of healthcare workers to staff them and keep them clean and safe, ensuring Ebola does not disrupt the entire health by providing healthcare beyond Ebola. These communities have been suffering for a long time, and we need to strengthen the health system so that it becomes more resilient. This is work we are supporting under the government leadership, providing communities with all the necessary information and timely tests so that they know how to bury their loved ones, and the burial teams ideally from the local community so they manage who have died. Safely and with dignity. We are supporting government with all the pillars, together with all our partners, supporting research and development, and supporting other countries in preparedness. This remains a challenging and a complex outbreak, requires significant collective support and action. WHO is asking for $115 million to slow and then stop this outbreak. Very briefly, to Uganda, On Sunday, the government reported a 20th confirmed case with a total death of 2 deaths confirmed. The latest case is a person who has a contact for case in DRC. The outbreak in Uganda is seated with 2 chain of transmission both linked. So supporting the government of DRC in controlling will ensure we timely control this outbreak.

Thank you. Thank you very much, Dr. Mahamud. Now turn to Paulo Craveiro of IFRC.

Thank you and good morning. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies continues to deliver essential materials to areas affected by the Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and is prepositioning supplies in the neighboring countries: Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and South Sudan, as part of the 2.9 million Swiss franc supply chain operation. Since the declaration of the outbreak, The FRC has delivered 23 Safe and Dignified Burial Kits, which can support over 450 burials, and over 300 body bags, in addition to the essential supplies pre-positioned in the area. These early deliveries faced the complexities of testing new supply chain corridors, given the remote geography of the area, security challenges, the closure of local airports, and the complex status of the road network. As needs are growing, The supply chain operation is scaling up. For the first half of July, the FRC estimates the delivery of a total of 181 safe and dignified burial kits supporting over 3,600 burials, 16,450 body bags, 550 personal protective equipment kits, and 24 vehicles in the DRC and in neighboring countries. The shipments will arrive in phases in Entebbe International Airport in Uganda and in Jomo Kenyatta International Airport airport in Nairobi, and will then be transported via land to Bunya, Ituri Province—a trip that can last over 7 days. Safe and dignified burials and PPE kits, as well as body bags, are not just operational goods, but frontline public health tools that protect health experts, Red Cross volunteers, and communities from the spreading of the virus. Importantly, they are also an act of respect for families in their most painful moments. Getting the supplies to Red Cross teams in eastern DRC is critical to allow them to safely and respectfully serve their communities. The FRC calls on the international community, donors, and partners to support the regional emergency appeal to ensure that communities in DRC and across the region receive the full scope of life-saving assistance they urgently need.

Thank you. Thank you very much, Paolo, and thank you to all our briefers. We'll take questions, but I should note that Ms. Daniels, I believe, if you have to leave. We do have an expert from the IOM who's here, Abdullahi Wone, who is the Senior Program Officer and expert. Thank you very much, Ms. Daniels. But let's take questions as Mr. Wone makes his way to the podium. Let me turn to you for questions. We have one from AFP.

Thank you again. Abdi, if this is the largest number of confirmed cases in the first month of an outbreak. Is that because surveillance is better than in previous outbreaks, or is it something else that you're seeing? Is it that the outbreak is worse, that the virus is more transmissible? Is it, is it the surveillance is better, or is it something else?

Thank you. Thanks. I think you answered your question. It includes all, all and above. One, it's where it's happened right now. It's happened in a large city, Bunia, and the greater Bunia area is large population. Previous outbreak also started in rural areas before they expanded. So Mongwalu is 80 kilometers from Bunia and is intimately connected. So the population is one. And as I mentioned, the surveillance has incredibly improved. Still, we are behind the virus in a lot of area. But a combination of a strong surveillance that was ramped up in the last few weeks, high population movement, high population density, and we don't know yet is this virus different from another. Studies are going on, but I think a combination of a decentralized lab, strengthened surveillance, and a highly densely populated area compared to previous outbreak which started in rural areas before they reached —allied cities.

Yes, go ahead, Robin.

Are you seeing any direct correlation between violence and Ebola cases? Is there an overlap between the security situation out there and the Ebola virus? Is that something that you can clearly see?

I think I will turn to our IFRC colleagues who have been if they can take, because several safe and dignified burials have been attacked and the impact it's having, if you can take that.

Well, like in any crisis such as any outbreak such as Ebola, the tension tends to grow. And we have seen violence against our volunteers at SDB sites. And that is because, as we discussed last week and has been discussed in, in other occasions, there is a lack of trust in the response. And we are working hard with communities to, to bridge that gap, but rumor and misinformation are creating some difficulties in this.

Thank you, Paolo. And of course, as we've said here from this podium, myself as well, MONUSCO, our peacekeeping forces, is doing what it can in the region. It has been deployed in the DRC, as you know, for quite a long time, and it's providing as much security whilst contending with this virus, providing critical logistical support to try to deliver much-needed aid amidst this very, very complicated theatre. So, of course, these are concerns which sort of compound this crisis. Let's see if we have further questions. We have one online, not in the room. Robin, I think you're okay with the follow-up. So, Emma Farge of Reuters, go ahead.

RHODES] Good morning. I have a few questions, one for each speaker. For IOM, could you please say how many of the confirmed cases have been in the displacement camps, and a bit more about what the plan is to counter that, the spread in those camps. For WHO, I'd like to know if Bundibujo is manifesting itself differently in patients compared to the Zika virus, and how this might be affecting the response. And also, are you going to be able to build new Ebola treatment centers fast enough, or is that a concern going forward, given the high bed occupancy rate? And for IFRC, please, you mentioned you were going via Nairobi and then overland.

It doesn't sound very efficient.

Why are you going that route, please? Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Dr. Abdullahi. I'm also coming directly from Bunia, where I was deployed for 3 weeks. I was very Much pleased to share the same platform with Dr. Mohamed. Yes, when it comes to the IDP settlement, you know, in Ituri, which is the epicenter of the outbreak, we have more than 100 IDP settlements. Even in normal situation, before the outbreak, they were facing overcrowding because most of the IDP settlements are informal, and then they have they are facing access to wash, sanitation, basic health services. Now you know that people are living in this IDP settlement, but they are moving also for work, for trade, for looking for food, etc. It has been noticed that very soon that we have more than 25 cases which has been confirmed unfortunately within the IDP settlements, specifically in Nizi Health Zone and also in Bunia. And among this, we have 14 deaths, unfortunately. As IOM and UNHCR, we are leading the CCCM cluster, and along with WHO, we did a field visit, and then we are coming with a multi-sectorial response to see how we can increase and improve the way we are detecting cases, isolating them, but also referring to avoid any further spread of the disease within this IDP settlement.

Thank you. Thanks. In terms of the clinical presentation, we haven't seen any major difference from, like, another filovirus, whether it's Bundubuyo, Ebola Zaire, Ebola, or Marburg. Currently, the dry symptoms are nonspecific, so it is the early detection and early referral we see more time from the case onset the population stayed in the community that increased the community transmission. From a clinical presentation, we have not seen any major difference, but that data is being analyzed and hopefully we will hear more from the clinical partners and what they're seeing. Seen, but the initial, from a surveillance perspective, we haven't seen any major change. To your second question about building capacity, I want to recognize all the partners now doing the construction, is being built and increased and being decentralized, but strengthening all aspects, not only the building more beds, but also increasing the community trust, and so that they can refer cases early. And then getting the result early. So it's an integrated approach, and I want us to focus from the IDP, what interventions we do, to all the way building the trust is well integrated, and each of those pillars needs investment and increasing at the heart of it to be the community trust and engagement.

Thank you for your question. The first shipments went from Entebbe to Bunia by land as the airport in Bunia was closed. Following its opening, things were flown in directly. And why this— why the decision to keep on land route Entebbe to Bunia now, that I would probably need to have a chat with the colleagues on supply chain and get back to you. For what concerns the route through Nairobi, there were a number of goods that were part of a preparedness plan and prepositioning, so they arrived in the port in Mombasa, and this— they were shipped from Shanghai before the beginning of the outbreak. That's why there's part of it that are going through Nairobi. But I'm happy to take this offline and put you in touch with colleagues from supply chain. Thank you, Paolo.

Thank you all. Yeah, go ahead, Robin.

Abdi, having come back from the field, what Ebola-fighting tools that you need are you having difficulty getting? So where are the gaps that you see now? Thank you.

That's the $800 million question. I think for me, coming back from the field, is how do we sustain our humanitarian interventions? That's the biggest gap. Every donor would like to support us, and we appreciate all the donors who come and supported the Ebola response. Response where we asked. But at the heart of it, it's the vulnerability of the population, is the malnutrition, the lack of access. 1.5 million people have lost access to primary health care. So, and then it makes them more vulnerable to malaria, to malnutrition. For me, the takeaway almost after a month is how, as a global community— I know it's complex, there's conflict going on— but how did we allow 25% of humanitarian response needs only funded. So my main way is the country has the experience. This is their 17th outbreak. They will respond. It may take them time, but they will respond. I've seen clear leadership from the ministry, from the government, from the president. It will. But as a global community, do we come in for this neglected crisis and support the 1 million internal displaced population there, the humanitarian situation and the conflict. Peace is the best medicine. So unless we have, we will be dealing again with the 18th outbreak and you'll hear me talking about conflict and crisis. To address this is the root cause of this conflict. Peace, peace is the best medicine to interrupt, to detect early, and to contain outbreaks like this before they become large.

Absolutely. Peace is indeed the best medicine. Thank you so very much. I think that exhausts the questions on this issue. I just want to double-check that's the case. So thank you all very much for joining me here on the podium on this important subject. Okay, we're going to move to the next subject, but before we do that, I just wanted to ask Alejandro Laguna, our colleague from UNEP, to join me very briefly. Thereafter, we're going to go to situation in Sudan, and then we have our colleagues waiting patiently from Niger and Rome. But Alejandro, please go ahead.

Hello.

I thought I should do this in person. I just wanted to say thank you to all of you. I'm leaving Geneva physically. I'm going to be around for the next 2 months. As you know, I work for the United Nations Environment Programme. I want you to know that there will be no longer a Regional Information Officer for UNEP. In Europe, we actually won't have Regional Information Officers in other regions either. If you need anything from UNEP, please contact my colleague Mark Grassi, who is still on board, and in case you need anything from the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer, I will be working for them for an implementing agency called Ozone Action with UNEP. So if you need anything ozone-related, you can always reach out to me. I will have the same email. And when you go to the Portail des Nations and visit the exhibits, you might remember me when you see the Montreal Protocol part of the story, on which coincidentally I did work before knowing I would end up working for the Montreal Protocol. Thank you very much to all of you. All the best. I will be around as Regional Information Officer until the end of the summer, but I won't be in Geneva. Thanks.

Alejandro, muchas gracias.

Thank you so much for everything. Merci beaucoup. It's been a pleasure working with you, and we'll see you around.

Thank you. We will. Okay. We'll see you around.

So thanks very much for taking this. Thank you. All right. Okay, colleagues. Jens has joined me, but before we go to Jens, I do want to turn to our colleague Seif from the UN Human Rights Office, who's joining us from Nairobi, to brief on the situation in Sudan, which deserves lots of attention. Seif, over to you. And thanks for your patience.

Yes, thank you very much, Rolando. I think I might have switched off the— good. Everyone can hear me? Yes, yes, we can. Yes, okay. Good morning, everyone. A report we are just issuing this morning lays bare the brutality and magnitude of conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan since the fighting broke out more than 3 years ago and its profound long-term impacts on civilians, families, and communities. There were at least 546 incidents of conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan between the 15th of April 2023 and mid-April this year, affecting at least 838 victims according to our own verification. But these figures represent only the tip of the iceberg, as most cases go unreported. Almost a quarter of the cases Almost a quarter of the incidents documented involved gang rape. In one case, a girl was gang raped by at least 10 men. Other acts that have been committed besides rape and gang rape include sexual violence, forced marriage, forced prostitution, sexual torture, and trafficking for the purpose of sexual violence. Some of these abhorrent acts may amount to war crimes. And in Darfur in particular, there are reasonable grounds to believe that some of the acts of sexual violence committed in the context of widespread and systematic attacks against the civilian population may amount to crimes against humanity. Most of the incidents we verified were attributed to men in RSF uniforms and RSF affiliates and Arab militia. Some have also been attributed to the Sudanese Armed Forces and affiliated security actors and militias. This report warns that unless these patterns and impacts of conflict-related sexual violence are addressed through justice, victim-centered responses, and efforts to tackle stigma and discrimination, peace and social cohesion in Sudan risk being undermined for years to come. We call for all perpetrators, including those exercising command responsibility, to be fully held to account and for victims to be guaranteed access to effective remedy, including reparation. We urge the parties to the conflict to, among other things, take concrete and verifiable measures to prevent sexual violence. The international community should ensure that justice and accountability remain central with support to efforts towards a ceasefire and resolution of the conflict. Thank you very much. I think you already have the report in your inboxes. Thank you.

Okay, thank you so much, Saif. If you haven't received the report, do reach out to our colleagues at OHCHR. Do we have questions on Sudan? Yes, Robin.

Thank you. With reports of paramilitary forces massing outside El Ubaid, Do you feel that there is— that this could potentially result in a repeat of the reported sexual violence on the scale that happened in al-Fasha?

Um, the short answer to that is yes. We are deeply concerned, as the High Commissioner, uh, said, uh, last week, about the buildup of, uh, troops and around, around al-Fasha, which points to, uh, likely that there will be a ground offensive anytime soon on, on al-Obaid. And as you may have heard, there have already been attacks on al-Obaid. Like yesterday, there were major attacks on al-Obaid that affected social services. I think a fuel station was hit, as well as a sanitation area. And that is absolutely why the High Commissioner remains seized of this matter and concerned about the situation. If I can say something, looking at my notes, yesterday a drone reportedly struck a fuel truck in Al-Kufa market, killing an adult and a child. There was also a separate strike which reportedly killed other civilians in the Al-Kouba neighborhood. So there is a grave risk of atrocities including killings, sexual violence, abduction, and detention, and detentions. And we call on the international community to be seized of the matter and on the parties to the conflict to ensure a halt to the offensive that we believe is imminent given what is, uh, what we are seeing, and to enable civilians to safely leave the city As the High Commissioner said, states with influence must exercise that influence now to stop preventable human rights catastrophe and the further deterioration of the human rights situation.

Thank you. Thank you very much, Seyfa. Colleagues, I refer you to the statement we did issue last week from the spokesperson for the Secretary-General, which echoed many of these messages, including the safe passage of civilians, and obviously the SG continues to call for all parties to take measures to protect civilians and cease the fighting. So this is a statement we issued last week. Further questions for Saif? No, I don't see that's the case. If you can indulge me, Diane, one more briefer— briefer before we go to you, because we've been— thank you so much, Saif. Thank you very much for joining us, and thank you for your patience., and we'll certainly highlight this important story as it develops. Our colleagues from FAO and WFP, I'd like to thank you very much for joining us, and again, apologies for the long wait. We have on the line Maxwell Sibhensana, who is FAO's Deputy Director of the Office of Emergencies and Resilience, who's joining us from Niger. And we have Richard Schullerthun— excuse me if I didn't pronounce it right— Schullerthun, Director of Climate and Resilience at WFP, joining us from Rome. Maxwell, over to you, and thank you again for your intervention.

Good day, and thank you so much. We are anticipating what could become a strong El Niño event, one that is expected to affect millions of people across multiple regions through droughts, floods, and storms. But what makes this moment particularly alarming is that this El Niño effect is not happening in isolation. Across many of the countries we are focusing on, people are already facing record levels of hunger driven by conflict, economic shocks, and repeated climate extremes. At the same time, Rising cost of fuel, fertilizer, and other inputs linked to the Middle East crisis are placing an additional strain on already fragile food systems. This convergence of risks is creating a perfect storm for vulnerable communities, particularly smallholder farmers whose lives and livelihoods depend on agriculture directly. But we are not powerless in the face of this crisis. We know from experience that acting early works. During the last El Niño, FAO and WFP supported more than 3 million people ahead of peak impacts. We saw clear results. Households were able to protect their crops and livestock as well as maintaining food consumption. They also avoided negative coping strategies. Anticipatory action allows us to act before disasters strike when it is still possible to protect livelihoods and also to avert the escalation of any crisis. It is more effective, more dignified, and more cost-efficient than responding after losses have already occurred. That is why we have just launched the first-ever joint FAO/WFP Global Anticipatory Action Appeal. Together, we are seeking $202 million to protect 8.8 million people across 22 high-risk risk countries. But let me be clear, timing is critical. The window for anticipatory action is narrow and linked to agricultural cycles. In some countries, this window is already open. If we miss it, we lose the opportunity to prevent losses, and both human and financial costs will increase significantly. We have the systems, the partnerships, and the evidence in place. Working closely with governments and partners across humanitarian system, including OCHA and the CERF-supported frameworks, we are ready to act as soon as early warning triggers are reached in each of the countries, delivering early warning information with tailored Advice, cash support, stress-tolerant crop varieties, livestock assistance, and water management solutions tailored to local risks. This appeal is not about building something new. It is about scaling up what we know works and doing so in a more coordinated and efficient way. It also reflects a broader shift in how we respond to crisis moving from reactive to proactive, from crisis management to risk management, through a more unified system-wide response. FAO and WFP bring complementary strengths, protecting agricultural livelihoods and food production while safeguarding food consumption and coping capacities for populations that are at risk. Let me conclude with a simple message. We have the focus. We have the evidence. We know what works. What we need now is timely and flexible funding to act before this El Niño further aggravates food insecurity globally. Thank you. I'll turn over to my colleague, Richard.

Thank you very much, Mr. Sibinsana. Very important brief indeed, which ties into our earlier comments. But Richard, over to you, and thank you again for joining us.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you, Maxwell. And good morning or good afternoon now, everyone. As Maxwell said, since the start of the decade, vulnerable communities have faced a wave of compounding shocks with no time to recover. COVID-19, the impacts of the Ukraine war on grain and fertilizer markets, the 2023-24 El Niño, now, rising fuel and fertilizer and food prices linked to the Middle East. These waves of crises create hunger traps at every crisis, eroding families' abilities to cope, forcing them to skip meals, sell assets, and sink deeper into debt. And as we brace for another El Niño, those, those already on the brink being pushed even deeper into more entrenched food insecurity and acute food crises. We can't afford to let these happen, especially when we have strong and reliable forecasts. As Maxwell said, we have the systems ready to respond and we have the window of opportunity for preventive and anticipatory action open now. What WFP and FAO are proposing through this Global Anticipatory Action Appeal, as Maxwell highlighted, is a proven model that we have already begun to scale, one that flips the script enabling communities to prepare and receive support as soon as early warnings are triggered rather than waiting to provide aid after disaster strikes. On the ground, we are already seeing the first anticipatory actions linked to El Niño. In Central America's Dry Corridor, WFP has provided assistance to more than 76,000 people. Cash and food support and practical guidelines ahead of the drought to help them protect their livelihoods. And in the Sahel, 290,000 people have already been supported with cash transfers and early warning information, allowing them to buy essential supplies and prepare before a forecast drought. Climate shocks are hitting hardest in the areas that we call hunger hotspots. Elsewhere El Niño can compound the vulnerabilities at a critical moment. In Somalia, for example, flood threatens communities already under severe strain, and in Sudan, uh, lack of rainfall and extreme heat could put crops and livelihoods at further risk. And here, climate stress worsens conflict-driven hunger, stretches fragile systems to the breaking point, and deepens food insecurity for those already struggling. In these countries and many others, as Maxwell highlighted, the windows of opportunity will not stay open for long. To assist governments and communities to withstand the droughts, the floods, and the storms ahead, we are combining anticipatory action with disaster risk financing tools, preparedness, and risk reduction activities, so that when we deliver anticipatory action, We're ready, and when disasters strike, we can provide life-saving assistance and help families get back on their feet as soon as possible and out of cycles of food insecurity and crises, bridging the entire response cycle. Um, just to reiterate Maxwell's critical point, we have the capacity at this stage. What we are asking the international community to do is to strengthen its commitment, mobilize the financial resources so we can act If we fail, we will be delaying assistance and generating higher, higher needs in the future. If we act now, we can reduce the cost of humanitarian assistance later. Thank you very much.

Thank you, gentlemen, both of you very much for these important briefs. So let's see if we can— any questions from our colleagues here? In the room or online? No, I don't see that's the case. Mr. Sibanzana, Mr. Suleyman, thank you very much. Thank you also. Apologies for the long wait. This is a very important brief which you delivered, and we'll make sure to amplify this loud and clear to make sure people hear these important messages. Thank you so very, very much for joining us. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, last but certainly not least, Jens is with me on the podium, who has an announcement for us.

Over to you, Jens. Thank you, Rolando. Good morning— good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for your patience. It's been very long, I acknowledge that. I sent you a briefing note where you will have some of the numbers I'm going to read out, but here we go. The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has just announced a $10 million funding package from the Central Emergency Response Fund to support women and girls in some of the world's most severe humanitarian crises. The allocation spans 8 underfunded emergencies and will help women and girls access protection, healthcare, and other vital services. A key feature of the funding is that it will be delivered in close partnership with local women-led organizations. These groups are among the first to respond. They know their communities, they understand the risks, and they are often the most trusted source of support. As you know, women hold up half the sky. For us humanitarians, at least, they hold up half of the response. So, of the $10 million, Ethiopia and Syria will receive, uh, $1.5 million each. Burkina Faso and Haiti Tanzania, 1.4 million each; the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Myanmar, 1.3 million each; Mozambique, 900,000; and finally Mali, $700,000. Taken together, these allocations will improve access to services for survivors of gender-based violence. They will provide sexual and reproductive health care, psychosocial support, and other forms of protection. The role of of women-led organizations is crucial. In Ethiopia, around 80% of the funding from us, from the CERF, is expected to go to these groups. In Myanmar, the figure is around 70%, and in Mali, it's about 60%. And substantial funding is also planned for women-led groups in the other recipient countries that I mentioned. So these organizations will help identify women and girls who are at risk They will support survivors, deliver services, and gather feedback from the communities to ensure accountability to the people we serve. And the projects have also been chosen for their potential to be scaled up in the future.

Thank you. Thanks to you, Jens. Do we have questions for Jens?

No?

I think, again, we overwhelmed you all with the agenda today, which is now nearing a close. So thank you so very much, Jens. Thank you for your patience. And just to remind you, friends, colleagues, the address of the SG, you have it, which was at the top of this briefing. I just also want to highlight our briefers from FAO and WFP, very important notes which unfortunately got pushed down the agenda, but very important messages therein which fold into the larger message on climate action, the need to address the— the situation of climate change. Colleagues, a housekeeping note just to remind you, as I did Friday, that the registrations for the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, the meeting taking place at Palexpo 6 and 7 July, please do register. If you can do this by the end of this week, that would be helpful. We will make an arrangement where you can pick up your badges ahead of time. To avoid any bottlenecks at PALEXPO on the 6th and the 7th. So that is a very important gathering where the Secretary-General will be attending. Human Rights Council, as you know, is well underway. It's more than— well, nearly halfway through, I should say, 62nd regular session. Not halfway through, just after the first— feels like it's halfway through, I should say. It's only been a week, but its 62nd regular session is going strong in connection With that, we have a press conference which will take place here just over an hour from now. It's the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and in Israel, to launch their latest report. The three members of the commission will be sitting here at this podium briefing you. That's at 1:30 today. And on Wednesday— sorry, Thursday, the 25th of June, we have the Special Reporteur en violence against women and girls, Reem Al Salem, who will be briefing on her report entitled— or it's subject to violence against mothers. So that's 3 PM on Thursday. That's all I have for you. Any questions for me? No? I wish you a good afternoon. See you here on Friday. Thanks.