Hiroshima, Palestine & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (08 August 2025) | United Nations

Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Highlights: Hiroshima Occupied Palestinian Territory Security Council Democratic Republic of the Congo Somalia Mozambique Financial Contribution HIROSHIMA Izumi Nakamitsu, the High Representative for Disarmament, delivered a message on the Secretary-General’s behalf at the commemoration of the 80th year since the bombing of Hiroshima in Japan. In his message, the Secretary-General said that on this 80th anniversary, we remember those who perished. We stand with the families who carry their memory. And we honour the brave hibakusha — the survivors — whose voices have become a moral force for peace. He warned that today, the risk of nuclear conflict is growing. Trust is eroding. Geopolitical divisions are widening. And the very weapons that brought such devastation to Hiroshima and Nagasaki are once again being treated as tools of coercion. Yet, the Secretary-General added, there are some signs of hope. Last year, the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo — which represents the survivors of the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings — was awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for its tireless work in raising awareness about this critical issue. And in the Pact for the Future, adopted last year, countries re-committed to a world free of nuclear weapons. OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY The UN humanitarian country team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which brings together UN agencies and NGOs working in that area, today called on Israeli authorities to rescind the requirement obliging international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to share sensitive personal information about their Palestinian employees or face termination of their humanitarian operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Unless urgent action is taken, humanitarian organizations warn that most international NGO partners could be de-registered by 9 September or sooner – forcing them to withdraw all international staff and preventing them from providing critical, life-saving humanitarian assistance to Palestinians. This requirement is part of a set of new restrictive conditions for international NGOs which include potential consequences for public criticism of policies and practices of the Government of Israel. Already, NGOs that are not registered under the new system are prohibited from sending any supplies to Gaza. This policy has already prevented the delivery of such aid as medicine, food, and hygiene items. There are more details in a press release. Turning to the Gaza Strip, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that more people are being killed and injured, either along convoy routes or where they are staying. The situation is beyond catastrophic.   Hospitals are overstretched. Patients are lying on the floor or in the streets, suffering as beds, medical supplies and equipment are severely lacking.   Yesterday, emergency medical teams were denied entry into Gaza. The World Health Organization tells us that more than 100 health professionals, including surgeons and other specialized medical staff, have been barred from entry since March this year.   Yesterday, you heard that Israeli authorities allowed the entry of a limited number of trucks carrying commercial goods. While we are still following up to obtain more clarity on this, initial reports from our partners on the ground indicate that the items included rice, sugar and vegetable oil.   Sugar remains one of the most expensive items on the market. A two-ounce bag costs some $170. Eggs, poultry and meat have disappeared from the market. People rely on pulses and bread to survive, when and if available, which is far from being enough for the most vulnerable people.   The worsening market situation underscores the urgent need for the entry of humanitarian aid and commercial goods at scale – and consistently.  Starvation continues to happen, and today, the Ministry of Health reported five new malnutrition-related deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to about almost 200 deaths, half of whom are children. Our colleagues tell us that “hunger and malnutrition have devastating impacts, including a heightened risk of illness and death. Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/ossg/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=06%20August%202025


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