Indonesia, Lebanon & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (19 October 2026) | United Nations

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Highlights: - Secretary-General/ Indonesia - Occupied Palestinian Territory - Lebanon - USG Lacroix/ Travel - Afghanistan/ New SRSG - Haiti - Ukraine - Ukraine/ Humanitarian - Guatemala - Sudan - Yemen - Yemen/ Humanitarian - Refugees/ Lesvos SECRETARY-GENERAL / INDONESIA The Secretary-General is on his way back to New York, following an official visit to Indonesia. Today, he visited the Indonesia Armed Forces Peacekeeping Centre, where he paid tribute to Indonesia’s longstanding commitment to U.N. Peacekeeping. At the Centre, the Secretary-General laid a wreath in honour of the four Indonesian peacekeepers who recently lost their lives in southern Lebanon while serving with UNIFIL, as well as many other Indonesian soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice to grant protection and safety to allow for other people to survive in difficult circumstances. Speaking to Indonesian personnel who will soon be deployed with the U.N.’s peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, the Secretary-General stressed that no one should die serving the cause of peace, and that violations demand accountability. He said he will continue to call on Member States to uphold their obligations to ensure the safety and security of U.N. personnel at all times. Also today, the Secretary-General delivered an address on the Future of Multilateralism at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia. He underscored that the answer to deepening frustration with multilateralism is not less multilateralism – instead, it is better multilateralism. He said that we cannot risk a fragmented world. Speaking to the media afterwards in a joint press encounter with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Arrmanatha Nasir, the Secretary-General highlighted that Indonesia is a fitting place to spotlight the role that emerging economies can and must have in our increasingly multipolar world. And over the weekend, he held a bilateral meeting with President of Indonesia, President Subianto. They also discussed reform of the multilateral system and progress towards achieving the 2030 Agenda. In the meeting, the Secretary-General thanked Indonesia for its support for multilateralism and the United Nations, including through peacekeeping contributions. The Secretary-General will be back in the office tomorrow. OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that over the weekend, U.N. safety and security partners said that most reported air strikes, shelling, gunfire and naval fire were west of the so-called “Yellow Line.” Meanwhile, humanitarian partners warn that funding shortfalls, combined with ongoing restrictions, have begun reversing gains achieved since the announcement of a ceasefire over a year ago. Shelter partners say that about 66 per cent of the funding required to help families prepare for the cold and rainy season remains unmet. That’s a gap of $186 million out of the $283 million that we need. Eleven partners working on water say that they might have to discontinue the trucking of drinking water in the coming months. This would impact about 360 out of 3,500 water distribution points. Meanwhile, in recent weeks, funding shortages have led to the closure of at least 10 child protection service points and safe spaces, while another 57 are currently at risk of closure, partial suspension or reduced operations. Seventeen dedicated spaces for women and girls remain closed due to funding and safety issues. Overall, the Flash Appeal for 2026 covering all humanitarian sectors across the Occupied Palestinian Territory remains just over 40 per cent funded. And in the West Bank, shortfalls are also affecting humanitarian response. Settler attacks linked to the olive harvest are exceeding those seen in previous years, with the impact outpacing the capacity of our humanitarian partners to fully respond. Palestinian olive pickers are being injured every day, while families are losing the groves they depend on for their livelihoods. The loss of these vital sources of income risk deepening the humanitarian needs in the months and years ahead. It is critical that both funding shortfalls and persistent restrictions are urgently addressed. Civilians and their livelihoods must be protected at all times. Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-10-19


For more information or to watch video on YouTube, click here!