UN Daily Press Briefing: Yemen, Sudan, Gaza Humanitarian Crisis & More (July 9, 2025)

Deputy Secretary-General's Blue Economy Conference

• 🌍 Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed attended the International Conference on the Blue Economy in Yaoundé, Cameroon, emphasizing ocean protection and maritime security.
• 📈 She highlighted the Blue Economy's role in achieving SDG 14 and the broader 2030 Agenda and African Union's Agenda 2063.
• 🤝 Bilateral meetings included discussions with Cameroon's Prime Minister on regional challenges and SDG acceleration.

Escalation and Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen

• 🚨 Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, expressed grave concern over Red Sea attacks, civilian casualties, and potential environmental damage, stressing the need to safeguard freedom of navigation.
• ⚠️ Yemen must not be drawn into regional crises, and Ansar Allah was urged to release arbitrarily detained individuals.
• 🍽️ The Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs reported that over 17 million people in Yemen face hunger, with numbers projected to exceed 18 million by September, calling for increased funding.

Deteriorating Situation in Sudan

• 🏘️ Fighting in North Darfur State continues to displace families, with shelling in Abu Shouk camp resulting in civilian deaths.
• 🏃 Over 3,200 people fled Abu Shouk camp and El Fasher, seeking safety in other areas.
• 🆘 The humanitarian situation is worsening in the Kordofan region, with ongoing violence forcing displacement into areas lacking assistance.
• 🏥 Humanitarian partners are providing healthcare to 1.7 million people in North Darfur, but medical supplies are critically low.
• 🚚 A humanitarian convoy from Chad delivered 180 metric tonnes of relief items to conflict-affected people in South and East Darfur.
• 🌊 Flash floods in eastern Sudan threaten humanitarian access, exacerbated by dam water releases.
• 💰 The $4.2 billion response plan for Sudan is less than 25% funded.

Gaza Humanitarian Emergency

• 💔 Reports of attacks on tents and buildings in Gaza City and Khan Younis have resulted in scores of deaths, including medical staff.
• 🏥 Over 1,500 medical staff have been killed since October 2023.
• 💊 While 11 trucks with medical supplies entered Gaza, they meet only a fraction of the needs.
• ⛽ Fuel shortages severely impact life-saving operations, threatening the shutdown of generators at medical complexes and halting water wells.
• 🦠 Suspected cases of meningitis, bloody diarrhea, and acute jaundice syndrome are increasing due to poor sanitation and overcrowded displacement sites.
• 🚫 Humanitarian movement within Gaza remains limited, with many coordination attempts denied or cancelled.

Syria Wildfires and Aid Access

• 🔥 Humanitarian operations continue to support response to wildfires in Syria's coastal areas.
• 🤝 UNICEF and UNFPA are providing health, psychosocial support, and distributing essential items.
• 📈 Over 14,000 hectares of agricultural land have been burnt, impacting over 5,000 people.
• ✅ Syria has extended consent for UN aid delivery through three crossings for another six months, facilitating increased assistance.

Ethiopia Refugee Influx

• 🇸🇸 $3 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund has been allocated to assist South Sudanese refugees arriving in Ethiopia's Gambella region.
• 😥 At least 35,000 refugees face extreme conditions with limited access to basic services.

Humanitarian Principles and Aid Distribution

• 🚫 The UN firmly opposes forced displacement and emphasizes the need for safe and unimpeded humanitarian access.
• ⚖️ The UN will not work with groups that do not adhere to humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence.
• ⚠️ Concerns were raised about the Gaza Humanitarian Fund's operations, with reports of people being killed while seeking aid, and calls for dismantling the GHF due to its operational methods.
• 🤝 The UN advocates for aid distribution that respects human dignity and operates under established humanitarian standards.