UN Daily Press Briefing: Gaza Aid, Two-State Solution, Syria, Ukraine, Sudan & More (28 July 2025)

Two-State Solution and Gaza Aid Efforts

• 🕊️ The Secretary-General will address the international conference on the two-state solution, emphasizing it as the only realistic, just, and sustainable path for Israelis and Palestinians.
• ⚠️ He will warn that time is running out, trust is eroding, and unilateral actions undermining the solution are unacceptable.
• 🚚 Israel's decision to scale up aid, including lifting customs barriers and designating secure routes, is a welcomed progress, but vast amounts of aid are still critically needed.
• 🏥 July marked the worst month for malnutrition-related deaths in Gaza, with nearly one in five children under five acutely malnourished.
• ⚠️ Airdrops have resumed in Gaza, but are considered a last resort measure with associated risks, including reported injuries.

Food Systems and Global Hunger

• 🌍 The Secretary-General highlighted that global hunger is rising, one-third of the world's population cannot afford a healthy diet, and one-third of food is lost or wasted.
• 📈 Urgent priorities include integrated policies connecting agriculture to health and climate, addressing power imbalances in food systems, and unlocking finance.
• 🕊️ Peace is essential for investments to take root and for farmers to look to the future with confidence.

Humanitarian Crises in Syria and Sudan

• 🇸🇾 Security Council members discussed Syria, with a focus on protecting civilians, continued investment in humanitarian operations, and mobilizing resources for reconstruction.
• 🏘️ Displacement due to recent violence in rural Damascus and Daraa has left thousands sheltering in hotels, with limited health access.
• ⚠️ Sudan is facing escalating health and food crises, with rising cholera cases and severe food insecurity, leading to famine conditions in some areas.
• 💰 Humanitarian organizations urgently require $120 million to scale up life-saving support in Tawila, North Darfur.

Conflicts in Lebanon, Ukraine, and DRC

• 🇱🇧 UN peacekeepers in Lebanon report continued Israeli Defense Force presence and military activities, including unauthorized weapon caches.
• 🇺🇦 Attacks in Ukraine over the weekend damaged hospitals, homes, and critical infrastructure, resulting in casualties and injuries.
• 🇨🇩 The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo condemns an attack that killed at least 49 civilians, urging intensified security efforts and commitment to protecting civilians.

World Hepatitis Day

• 🩺 Today is World Hepatitis Day, observed to raise awareness of viral hepatitis and its severe health consequences.