Â鶹APP

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES

TUESDAY, 26 MAY 2026

SECURITY COUNCIL 

The Secretary-General briefed the Security Council this morning on the importance of upholding the UN Charter. He said that the Â鶹APP Charter is a survival guide for humanity, but today, the purposes and principles of the Charter are under profound strain. We now face the highest number of conflicts since the founding of the Â鶹APP, Mr. Guterres warned. 

The Secretary-General said that he was deeply concerned by a recent announcement by the Russian Federation to launch consistent and systemic strikes against Ukrainian defense enterprises in Kyiv, as well as against decision making centres and command posts, following reports of a Ukrainian drone attack on a college building and dormitory in the Ukrainian city of Starobilsk, presently occupied by the Russian Federation. He noted that on Friday, we condemned the attack on the school, as we condemn all attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, wherever they occur.   

Now more than ever, he said, it is imperative to avoid any escalation of a conflict that has already exacted a devastating toll on civilians, and that risks making the search for peace even more distant, prolonging the suffering of people.   

The Secretary-General added that this takes place as Israel has announced an escalation of its operations in Lebanon, we witness constant violations of the ceasefire in Gaza and the result of negotiations between the United States and Iran to end the conflict in the Gulf remain unpredictable.   

He told the Council that there is a need for reform and nowhere is this need more urgent than in the Security Council. A Security Council that does not reflect the geopolitical realities of today’s world cannot fully deliver on its responsibilities, he said.                                                          

UKRAINE 

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that over the weekend, the capital Kyiv and its neighbouring regions suffered from one of the largest combined air attacks on the country since the start of the full-scale war in 2022. There were scores of civilian casualties and civilian infrastructure sustained widespread damage.  

According to authorities, an attack in Kyiv on Sunday killed at least 2 people and injured nearly 90 others, including several children, and destroyed or damaged residential buildings, a market, a trading centre, a subway station and other public spaces, including museums and other cultural sites. 

The Humanitarian Coordinator, Matthias Schmale, visited one of the impacted sites in Kyiv and called for an end to civilian harm. 

A drone struck a residential building next to UN offices, damaging the windows and facade of the business centre, including the World Health Organization office. Thankfully, no civilians, including aid workers, were injured in this incident. 

Between January and April, at least 62 incidents affecting humanitarian personnel, vehicles, supplies and facilities were recorded across the country, according to our partners monitoring access constraints and operational risks. 

Apart from Kyiv, attacks across the country and front-line hostilities between May 22nd and the early hours of May 25th killed nearly 20 and injured over 200 more civilians, with the regions of Kherson, Dnipro, Sumy, Kharkiv and Donetsk reportedly repeatedly impacted. 

Humanitarians provided immediate emergency support after the attacks. In Kyiv City and the regions of Kyiv and Cherkasy, several national NGOs, with support from UN agencies, provided psychological support, legal assistance, protection counselling and emergency supplies to people affected by the attacks. Aid organizations also registered people for humanitarian cash assistance. 

 UNIFIL 

Since last Friday, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has observed extensive Israeli military activity as well as non-state armed group, presumably Hizbullah, attacks on Israeli forces in the mission's area of operations, despite the cessation of hostilities. 

Yesterday, UNIFIL detected 91 airspace violations, the highest number since the cessation of hostilities came into effect on 17 April. Also yesterday, UNIFIL reported 399 firing incidents attributed to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and 11 trajectories of projectiles attributed to Hizbullah. 

On Friday, UNIFIL reported 247 firing incidents attributed to the IDF and on Saturday and Sunday approximately 160 IDF firing incidents per day. UNIFIL reported 16 Hizbullah launches of projectiles on Sunday and several more each day on Friday and Saturday. UNIFIL also observed several interceptions of projectiles over the mission area of operations over recent days. 

Yesterday, a drone exploded 10 metres from a UNIFIL position in Shama in Sector West. Fortunately, there were no injuries or damage to UN premises. An investigation was launched following explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team intervention. 

On Saturday, UNIFIL observed two drone attacks in Sector West, attributed to Hizbullah. One occurred approximately 180 meters from the UNIFIL Headquarters perimeter wall in Naqoura, and the other targeted an IDF position north of the Blue Line southwest of Alma a-Sha'b.  

UNIFIL observed high-density IDF armoured movements, large-scale engineering works, sustained logistical traffic and persistent artillery shelling, mortar fire and rocket impacts in its area of operation through the weekend. 

UNIFIL also facilitated several humanitarian missions in coordination with OCHA and other humanitarian actors. 

LEBANON/HUMANITARIAN 

Turning to the humanitarian situation, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that nearly 1 million people are still displaced within Lebanon. 

OCHA says that people have been freshly forced from their homes overnight, following reports of intensified Israeli airstrikes. Families were seen spending the night in their vehicles in Beirut, with some shelters in the capital saying dozens of families have sought refuge in the past 24 to 48 hours. 

Today, the IDF issued an evacuation order for the city of Nabatieh, located north of the Litani River, for the first time. 

A renewed evacuation order was also issued today for the town of Mashgara in Bekaa, where an Israeli airstrike last night reportedly killed at least 11 people and where rescue operations continued today. 

According to the World Health Organization, nine attacks on healthcare were recorded in four days, between May 21st and May 24th, resulting in eight health workers killed and 45 injured. 

On May 23rd alone, 25 medical staff were injured at the Hiram Hospital in South governorate, following several airstrikes in the hospital’s immediate proximity. 

On the same day, an Israeli airstrike destroyed the Civil Defense Center in Nabatieh city, including firefighting and rescue equipment, and heavy machinery, impacting the already overstretched emergency response capacity. 

Two other hospitals, in South and Nabatieh Governorates, also sustained damage from nearby strikes in recent days. 

We reiterate that attacks on health workers and health facilities are unacceptable. All parties to conflicts must immediately stop them and ensure protection for healthcare. 

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY 

Turning to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tells us that the movement of supplies into Gaza continues to be restricted. 

Over the weekend, Israeli authorities informed us that the Zikim Crossing will remain closed this week, leaving Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem as the only operational crossing for cargo. 

We continue to call for more crossings to open and for more critical supplies, such as back-up generators and fuel, to be let in, regularly, predictably and in sufficient volumes. 

OCHA also says that, after we brought three tonnes of rodenticides and 3,000 litres of pesticides into Gaza earlier this month, we and our partners have launched a response spanning over 1,700 locations to spray, take rodent control measures and raise people’s awareness. 

Our partners working in water and sanitation report that severe shortages of engine oil continue to disrupt critical operations. They estimate that approximately 7,000 litres are required each month to keep water and sanitation operations running. 

Life‑saving activities are increasingly curtailed. As an example, on 11 May, the Sheikh Radwan stormwater lagoon in Gaza City had to shut down to preserve a generator's lifespan. Since then, water and wastewater levels have risen significantly, raising the risk of flooding in the coming weeks and posing further public health threats. 

Meanwhile, on shelter, between 11 and 17 May, our partners provided more than 14,000 households across Gaza with shelter and essential items. 

Our partners are also responding in the West Bank, mainly to Palestinian communities affected by conflict-related damage, escalating settler violence, the increasing risk of forcible displacement of entire communities and deteriorating shelter conditions. 

Last month alone, our partners reached more than 40,000 people in that part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. They provided shelter repairs, cash assistance, tents and other supplies, and they installed fences and doors. 

EBOLA 

We have an update on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

According to WHO there are more than 900 suspected cases and 220 suspected deaths linked to Ebola in the DRC.  

The Head of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus,  announced that he would be travelling to the country today.  

In a social media post, he said WHO and 55 humanitarian partners are present across the affected areas, providing essential health services, including treatment for acute malnutrition. 

WHO is on the ground, supporting national authorities with every pillar of the response, including contact tracing, establishing treatment centres, strengthening laboratory capacity, case management, infection prevention and control, risk communication, community engagement and more. 

But, he added that our work continues to be impeded by violence and limited access to some of the hardest-to-reach communities.  

Together with the DRC Government, the UN and its partners continue scaling up the response to the ongoing crisis, and also, as we mentioned last week, to address the broader humanitarian and health needs of the affected communities.  

Funding remains urgently needed, as well as sustained and safe access so that: - responders can be protected from the Ebola virus; so that they can provide protection and care to affected communities, and to allow humanitarian teams to deliver aid and a full package of healthcare services to the communities in need. 

SUDAN/PERSONAL ENVOY 

The Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Mr. Pekka Haavisto, is continuing his engagements with the parties in support of de-escalation efforts and measures aimed at enhancing the protection of civilians. As you know, he recently visited some of the Gulf countries, including stops in Doha, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, where he met with a wide-range of interlocutors.  

As part of the Quintet, comprising the African Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, League of Arab States, European Union and the Â鶹APP, Mr. Haavisto is also working to support progress toward a future Sudanese-owned and led political process. 

Over recent months, the Quintet has consulted a broad spectrum of Sudanese stakeholders, including political blocs, political parties, civil society actors, women, youth and displaced communities, to help ensure that Sudanese voices shape both the parameters and priorities of an inter-Sudanese civilian dialogue. 

Following these consultations, the Quintet expects to facilitate concrete discussions around modalities for preparing an inter-Sudanese dialogue in the coming weeks.  

SUDAN 

Meanwhile, we are deeply alarmed by the continued drone attacks across the region of Darfur and the growing toll on civilians. 

In North Darfur, at least 12 people were reportedly killed in multiple drone attacks on two towns in North Darfur near the Sudan-Chad border. 

Local sources report there were multiple deaths yesterday in the town of Al Tina in North Darfur, following another strike that, earlier this week, killed seven people and injured 11. 

On Sunday, multiple deaths were reported due to a drone strike on Kornoi town in North Darfur. This reportedly followed another attack on the same town on Friday that left five people dead and four injured in Kornoi. 

We once again call on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to facilitate access, as required by international humanitarian law. We urgently need additional funding to deliver critical assistance to millions of people in need across Sudan.

HAITI  

From Haiti, our OCHA colleagues say the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, particularly in the neighbourhood of Cité Soleil, following an escalation of armed violence on 10 May. 

According to new estimates by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), some 17,500 people, or more than 4,200 households, have been displaced in the past two weeks. 

More than 80 per cent of the displaced people are taking shelter in 33 sites, while others are hosted by already vulnerable families. 

Assessments at the displacement sites point to rapidly growing needs for food, clean water, healthcare and hygiene supplies. 

Conditions at the sites, including poor lighting, are also raising concerns over people’s safety. Children separated from their families, pregnant women and people with disabilities are at greater risk as a result. 

Our humanitarian partners continue to respond despite the insecurity and access constraints, with OCHA coordinating the effort to ensure we can reach people in need more effectively. 

PAKISTAN  

In a statement we issued last night, the Secretary-General strongly condemned the explosion targeting a train in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. He extended his deepest condolences to the families of those killed and wished a swift recovery to those injured.&²Ô²ú²õ±è;  

The Secretary-General reiterates that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is unacceptable, adding that the perpetrators must be identified and brought to justice.  

TREATY ON THE NON-PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS 

You will have seen that on Friday night, the Secretary-General expressed his disappointment at the inability of the Eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) to reach consensus on a substantive outcome and to seize this critical opportunity to make our world safer. 

The Secretary-General appeals to all States to make full use of all available avenues of dialogue, diplomacy and negotiation to reduce tensions, lower nuclear risks and ultimately eliminate the nuclear threat. The full statement is online. 

**Briefing

At 1:00 p.m. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the Â鶹APP, briefed reporters regarding the strike on the college in Starobilsk. 

Tomorrow is a UN Holiday -Eid al-Adha- and the UN Headquarters will be closed.  There will therefore be no Noon Briefing, but we will have a Noon Briefing on Thursday.