Ukraine, Palestine, Lebanon & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (14 Nov 2025) | United Nations

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Highlights: -Secretary-General/Trip Announcement -Jesuit Refugee Service -Ukraine -Ukraine/Humanitarian -Occupied Palestinian Territory -Lebanon/Israel -Syria -Sudan -Democratic Republic of the Congo -Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security -Department of Safety and Security -International Days ------------------------------ SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT On Sunday, the Secretary-General will return to COP30 in Belém, Brazil. During his visit, he will meet with negotiating parties, including various regional groups and ministers. He will also engage with civil society representatives, indigenous peoples and youth. The Secretary-General has called for COP30 to ignite a decade of acceleration and implementation, given the serious gaps in meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. While in Belém, he will reiterate his call for parties to provide a clear plan for doing so. The Secretary-General is also expected to speak to journalists. JESUIT REFUGEE SERVICE Yesterday evening, the Secretary-General delivered remarks at an event marking the 45th Anniversary of the creation of the Jesuit Refugee Service. He said that since its creation, the Jesuit Refugee Service has been coming to the aid of people uprooted by conflict and persecution, accompanying them in their suffering and providing them with vital services. The Secretary-General said that our world keeps turning its back on those in distress but he added that giving refuge to people in peril is more than a tradition, it’s a moral and practical necessity. He called on all to work together to uphold the right to seek asylum, a pillar of international law, insist on the shared responsibility to provide international protection, and summon the political will to resolve conflicts. His full remarks have been shared with you. UKRAINE The Secretary-General strongly condemns today's large-scale missile and drone strikes by the Russian Federation on several Ukrainian regions, reportedly killing at least six people in the capital Kyiv and two people in the city of Chornomorsk. The attack is also reported to have caused many injuries among civilians and damage to residential and energy infrastructure, as well as damage to the embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Kyiv. Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law. They are unacceptable, wherever they occur, and must end immediately. The Secretary-General recalls the principle of the inviolability of diplomatic premises. The Secretary-General reiterates his call for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, as a first step towards a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace in Ukraine, one that fully upholds Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions.  UKRAINE/HUMANITARIAN From Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that a large-scale overnight attack on the capital and hostilities across the country has resulted in several civilians killed and injured. Multiple residential buildings and several health facilities were damaged, while parts of the city of Kyiv were left without heating. This is what local authorities are telling us. The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, condemned the attack, noting the ongoing pattern of massive civilian harm caused by such strikes during the cold winter months. The attacks reflect an alarming increase in civilian casualties. According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, civilian casualties between January to October were nearly 30 per cent higher than during the same period last year, and the toll of casualties for the first ten months of 2025 has already exceeded the total for all of 2024. Following the latest attacks, humanitarian organizations, including UN agencies and national and international NGOs, swiftly mobilized to assist people impacted in Kyiv and across the country. They are providing hot meals, emergency shelter materials, blankets and hygiene items, as well as psychosocial support. Humanitarians are also registering impacted families for cash assistance. Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2025-11-14


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