UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING

Alessandra Vellucci of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Jens Laerke, for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said the humanitarian situation in and around Goma remained extremely worrying. Colleagues had reported heavy small arms fire, mortar fire and the presence of dead bodies in the street. There were reports of gender-based violence and rape, committed by fighters, looting of property including a humanitarian warehouse, and humanitarian and health facilities being hit. Hospitals were overwhelmed, struggling to manage the influx of wounded people. Yesterday internet services were cut off, with Goma still offline this morning. Since the flare-up of hostilities, in the beginning of the year, hundreds of thousands of people had attempted to flee the violence, including the 700,000 people already displaced on the outskirts of Goma. On Friday, sites hosting at least 300,000 internally displaced people were completely emptied due to the rapid advancements of the frontlines. Non-essential humanitarian staff had been relocated, but critical personnel remained in Goma. The UN’s emergency fund CERF had immediately allocated US$17 million to support the humanitarian response. The Humanitarian Coordinator in the DRC, Bruno Lemarquis, had called on all parties to agree on temporary humanitarian pauses in the most affected areas and facilitate the safe evacuation of wounded people and civilians trapped in combat zones. It was also critical to ensure the safe reopening of Goma airport and to keep the border posts between Rwanda and the DRC in Goma operational, to enable people to flee the violence.

Matthew Saltmarsh, for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said the situation in the DRC had deteriorated since the last briefing, and nearly half a million people had been displaced in North and South Kivu provinces in January alone. Many of these individuals had fled violent attacks, including the use of heavy artillery targeting internally displaced person sites, which destroyed shelters, essential infrastructure, and claimed lives. Several sites on the outskirts of Goma, housing more than 300,000 displaced people, had been completely emptied within a few hours. UNHCR called on all parties involved in the conflict to immediately respect international humanitarian law and prioritize civilian protection. Protection monitors were also closely following cross-border movements as some people fled into neighbouring countries. UNHCR stood ready to respond to any outflow of asylum seekers, ensuring their protection and providing critical assistance. The DRC’s humanitarian crisis was not just a regional concern but a global responsibility. The international community must step up efforts to support populations and facilitate long-term solutions to end the cycle of violence.

Shelley Thakral, for the World Food Programme (WFP), speaking from Kinshasa, said a major surge in violence in the eastern region of the DRC had led to hundreds of thousands of people fleeing multiple active conflict zones. WFP’s priority was keeping staff and their dependents safe, with only critical WFP staff remaining. There were growing security concerns due to displacement around Goma. There had been families fleeing the fighting, facing challenges including blocked roads, closed ports and needing to take makeshift boats across Lake Kivu. There was massive displacement of the population, including 5.1 million people in Ituri, North and South who had already been displaced prior to the conflict. Food assistance activities in and around Goma had been temporarily paused. WFP was concerned about food insecurity in Goma and rising food prices as airports and major access roads had been cut off. The next 24 hours would be critical as people started to run low on supplies. WFP strongly condemned the violence in DRC and called on all parties to the conflict to immediately cease hostilities and uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law. 

Adelheid Marschang, DRC Emergency Response Coordinator for the World Health Organization (WHO), said Goma had previously been a refuge for hundreds and thousands of displaced people and was now at the centre of escalating conflict. WHO had hubs in North and South Kivu to respond to the eastern DRC’s health needs. Before the airport closed on Saturday, WHO was able to send critical medical supplies for trauma and emergency care, infection prevention, and cholera, among others. WHO was providing tents for hospitals to expand their treatment capacities. There were currently hundreds of people in hospital, most admitted with gunshot and shrapnel wounds. WHO was especially worried for the health and safety of women and girls who are at a higher risk of violence, including rape. Capacities to deal with the newly injured were stretched and WHO was working with authorities and partners to identify solutions. There were reports of health workers being shot at, and patients including babies caught in the crossfire, which violated the rules of war. With people on the move, and infrastructure such as water stations and electricity grids damaged, the conditions were rife for the spread of infectious diseases like cholera and measles. Last year, North and South Kivu reported 21 672 cases and 59 deaths from cholera, and 11 710 cases and 115 deaths from measles. Eastern DRC was the epicentre of the outbreak of the new mpox strain, with over 20 000 suspected cases of mpox reported from North and South Kivu since 2024, including more than 6 000 in the last six weeks. WHO was looking at scaling up the response, while ensuring the safety of its staff. 

More efforts needed to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in Sudan and Eastern DRC

Patrick Youssef, Regional Director, Africa, for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said the ICRC had been following developments in Sudan and Eastern DRC with growing alarm. On Friday, horrific images emerged from Al Saudi Teaching Hospital in Sudan’s city of Al Fasher, where dozens of people were reportedly killed in an attack that damaged the hospital building. The ICRC had been providing financial support to the hospital, which would not be able to function unless it was respected and protected by the parties to the conflict. If it stopped working, this could be a death sentence for the sick and the wounded treated there. During the same time, in Goma, in the DRC, heavy shelling and shooting in densely populated areas resulted in an influx of injured. More than 100 people within 24 hours arrived at the N’dosho Hospital, where the ICRC surgical team worked. They would normally receive this number of patients in a month. The team and hospital staff had been treating people with mortar and shrapnel wounds, many of them with head wounds and chest trauma. These were two different conflicts in different countries, but there was an alarming common trend: civilians were paying an increasingly heavy price for brutal armed conflicts. In DRC and Sudan, ICRC continued to hold dialogue with the parties and insist they take immediate measures to protect civilians and critical civilian infrastructure. 

Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) referred to the statement by the spokesperson of the Secretary-General on the situation in the DRC had been distributed, as had the statement from the Security Council. 

Responding to questions from the media, on the number of staff remaining on the ground, Patrick Youssef, Regional Director, Africa, for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said ICRC had 19 general practitioners who were still working in Goma, as well as 14 medical staff who were working 24 hours at the N’dosho hospital and in other health centers. Jens Laerke, for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said OCHA did not give specifics about staff in situations of armed conflict, as it was a security issue. Essential staff critical for programme implementation were still in Goma. Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), quoting Under Secretary-General Jean Pierre Lacroix, said the protection of millions of civilians was paramount, as was the safety of staff. The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) had begun temporarily relocating its personnel and their dependents from Goma over the weekend by air and road, but essential staff was continuing to provide services to the population. 

Responding to further questions, Mr. Laerke said he had not seen any reported incidents against OCHA staff in the DRC. 

Adelheid Marschang, DRC Emergency Response Coordinator for the World Health Organization (WHO), said WHO did not have figures on the overall number of deaths, however through contact with the hospitals, there were over 600 – 700 patients in at least four to five hospitals. WHO was constantly in contact with hospitals looking at the gaps in equipment and treatment capacity. Moving forward, it was hoped that more supplies could be allocated and distributed as the security situation allowed. WHO was very concerned about the issue of intra-hospital protection prevention, to prevent the spread of disease. 

Responding to further questions, Mr. Laerke said OCHA did not know how many dead bodies were in the street. He had no reason to doubt the reports from colleagues on what they could see in the street. Mr. Youssef said there was substantial crossfire, but it was premature to have a clear idea of why and how. However, teams were reporting that shelling was being done in residential areas. Three surgical teams had been working for 48 hours non-stop in the hospital, and it was difficult to have reports of their work. 

Ravina Shamdasani, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said OHCHR remained in the country, in a joint human rights office which was part of the MONUSCO. The Office was profoundly concerned about the situation of human rights activists, civil society and journalists in Goma, and were reminding all parties to the conflict of their obligations to protect these people, as well as civilians. 

Responding to questions on looting, Shelley Thakral, for the World Food Programme (WFP), said there was a critical team on the ground in areas affected by the violence, sadly the situation had deteriorated, and WFP were seeing some warehouses being looted, including one close to the airport, which showed how desperate people were. 

Mr. Youssef said there had been looting of the generators, air conditioning and the reserve of medical stock. The ICRC was very concerned about the situation within the laboratory of the National Institute for Biomedical Research, which was facing a risk of power cuts, where there would be unimaginable consequences if the bacteriological strains, including the Ebola virus that it sheltered, were to spread. The organization was in permanent and regular contact with the parties to the conflict to effectively maintain dialogue.

Responding to further questions, Ms. Thakral reiterated that gender-based violence in the camps surrounding Goma had been an issue for a long time. When people had been displaced from their homes and were struggling to survive, they looked to survival techniques and survival sex. It was not for her to comment on who was responsible. The longer people could not get food, water or healthcare, this would be a problem.

Responding to further questions, Ms. Marschang said there had been increases in sexual gender-based violence and WHO had scaled up clinical capacity to treat them and take care of the critical trauma and stress dealt by women. Some women had been raped several times in their search for firewood outside the camps. There were reports of an increase in rape in the pathways which conflict partners were now taking to South Kivu. WHO stood ready to respond to the moving nature of the displaced and attend to their health needs through mobile clinics.

Ms. Shamdasani said when the High Commissioner was in the DRC last year, he had been told by women that they needed to sell themselves to survive, and that they were subject to sexual violence when they went out to take care of their families. There was a heightened risk of sexual violence in the DRC at the moment which needed to be taken seriously. Reports of sexual violence were always difficult to corroborate. It was too difficult to attribute responsibility at this current stage. 

Answering questions, Ms. Vellucci said that the Secretary-General and the Security Council had been clear on the call for the Rwandan defence forces to cease their support and withdraw from the territory. 

Responding to further questions, Ms. Vellucci, quoting Under Secretary-General Jean Pierre Lacroix, said the UN welcomed the the Eastern African Community announcement to hold a summit by the 28th of January, looked forward to the African Union Peace and Security Council session scheduled for today. The UN were using all possible contacts and leverage to bring the warring parties to the negotiation table. 

Responding to questions on the potential of a cholera outbreak, Ms. Marschang said there was a heightened risk for a spillover of cholera into neighbouring countries. WHO had one of the largest vaccinations campaigns for cholera in December 2023 and had brought in one million vaccines before the airport closed. A vaccination campaign had been due to take place, but WHO needed to reassess the situation. There was a high risk when the Goma water system was damaged, that the access to safe water was hampered and electricity amplified that. WHO needed to pool efforts to prevent an outbreak from occurring and were taking all efforts including vaccination to mitigate this risk. 

Responding to further questions, Ms. Vellucci said a meeting had been scheduled today at 3pm New York time with the Security Council on the situation in the DRC; she would send the link to the webcast. 

Ms. Thakral said before the situation deteriorated, WFP were feeding 800,000 people in critical areas. The organization would replenish what they could and would resume business as soon as possible, providing people with food and cash assistance.

Mr. Laerke said reports had been received on Friday that 300,000 people had evacuated camps in a few hours. Typically, people would move before the fighting hit which seemed to be what happened in this instance. 

Mr. Youssef said the shelling was happening between the M23 and the Defence Forces of Congo, and it was too early for teams to report on figures. The death toll, injuries and violence would be rampant. In the next couple of days, diplomatic and political actions were needed to support those from the humanitarian community. 

Responding to further questions, Ms. Thakral said there were smaller organizations who would be doing what they could to provide support in terms of food, alongside WFP. 

Responding to further questions, Mr, Laerke said he did not have verified information about the fighting around the airport. The Humanitarian Coordinator said those fighting needed to ensure the conditions were in place to ensure the airport could be reopened so that aid could enter. 

UNRWA Ban

Responding to questions from the media on the UNRWA ban, Jens Laerke, for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said the United Nations stood fully behind UNWRA. The organization was the backbone of the humanitarian operation and were irreplaceable. They had thousands of staff working there and hundreds of staff who had lost their lives during the 15 months of conflict. They were an indispensable part of the operation and they needed to remain. Israel’s no-contact orders should be reconsidered.

Gaza Resettlement

Responding to questions on the possibility of resettlement of people from Gaza, Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) said the UN would be against any plan which could lead to the forced displacement of people, or any other human rights issues. 

Gaza Death Toll

Responding to further questions from the media, Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said WHO had confidence in the official death toll from the Ministry of Health, but these were deaths counted in official facilities. WHO believed there were still tens of thousands of more people under the rubble. As people returned to their houses and looked for their loved ones, this casualty figure was expected to increase.

Ukraine ratifies Aarhus Convention’s amendment on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) prompting it into force

Thomas Croll-Knight, for the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), said Ukraine had ratified the amendment on public participation in decisions on the deliberate release into the environment and placing on the market of genetically modified organisms (GMO amendment) to the Aarhus Convention. This ratification triggered the entry into force of the GMO amendment following its adoption by Convention Parties 20 years ago. The amendment would become effective on 20 April 2025. This meant that the 33 Parties that had ratified the GMO amendment as well as Member States joining the Convention in the future, needed to establish effective means to ensure transparency and public participation in related decisions. The release of GMOs entailed potential risks to human health and the environment, including to biodiversity. Therefore, it was essential to ensure that the public had complete access to all relevant information and could effectively participate in, decision-making regarding GMO-related matters. The Aarhus Convention, strengthened by its GMO amendment, offered all UN Member States and stakeholders a solid framework for engaging the public in such decision-making. 

The full media release is available here. 

Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD)

Dr Albis Gabrielli, Unit Head, Strategic Information and Analytics, Global NTD Programme, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said ahead of World NTD Day 2025, held annually on 30 January, WHO’s Global Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Programme announced significant progress towards the 2030 NTD road map targets as well as some challenges and risks. Neglected tropical diseases were a diverse group of 21 conditions caused by a variety of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, protozoa, parasitic worms, fungi and toxins. They are responsible for a significant global burden, affecting over 1 billion people, primarily in the world’s poorest regions. Progress was being made, but gaps remained. As of December 2024, 54 countries had succeeded in eliminating at least one NTD, more than halfway towards reaching the WHO's goal of 100 countries having eliminated at least one NTD by 2030. Globally, 75 elimination processes had been successfully completed and acknowledged by WHO. In 2024, seven countries eliminated an NTD.

Challenges hampering NTD programmes on a global scale included: a changing funding landscape; irregular country ownership; dwindling capacities and expertise; and uneven progress across NTDs and countries, in addition to migrations and conflicts. WHO was driving initiatives to address challenges, including developing an implementation plan estimating the cost of interventions required to achieve the 2030 targets; improving data systems; expanding capacity-building tools; investigating the impact of climate change and adapting disease control interventions accordingly. Under the theme “Unite. Act. Eliminate”, on World NTD Day 2025, WHO called for united efforts to eliminate NTDs and ensure health equity worldwide.

Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said two updates would be sent shortly and the media could receive them under embargo if they wished. 

United States Withdrawal from the World Health Organization

Responding to questions from the media regarding the United States’ (US) announcement to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said the US had always been an important part of WHO, so any cuts would have an impact on people’s health, particularly for the poorest. The assessment of this impact was ongoing. Regarding the recent case of the H59 virus (bird flu) detected at a California duck farm, this was likely a reassortment of H5N1, which was common for flu viruses. Epidemical investigations were ongoing to establish the exact transmission pathway. Data sharing across the world had always been essential. Humanities health successes were based on data sharing and many activities needed international collaboration. Mr Lindemier said he did not know if non-member States would share data and he would need to check on this. He said it was unlikely that an individual state from the US could join the WHO; it was only Member States who could join.

Freeze in United States Foreign Assistance

Answering questions from the media on the freeze in foreign assistance from the United States (US), Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) said a statement had been distributed by the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General on this topic. Jens Laerke, for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said OCHA was part of the UN Secretariat and agreed with this message. Ms. Vellucci said colleagues were now mapping out the possible consequences of this and how much it would impact Geneva-based agencies. The UN was concerned, but was confident that if there were issues, work could be done with the US authorities to overcome these problems. It was essential that the US authorities, who had previously been behind so much humanitarian assistance, continued this way. Ravina Shamdasani, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said the Secretary-General’s statement also applied to OHCHR. The organization was grateful for all the support received from the US over the years. OHCHR called on all States to increase their investment in human rights, to prevent conflict and instability. 

Announcements

Rolando Gómez for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), said the Committee on the Rights of the Child would have a meeting with States this Thursday afternoon, 30 January, before concluding its session on the afternoon of Friday, 31 January.

The next public plenary meeting of the Conference on Disarmament would take place on Thursday, 30 January 2025, at 10am in Tempus, still under the presidency of Leonardo Bencini of Italy. 

The current session of the Universal Periodic Review was still underway and would conclude this Friday. 

Mr. Gómez said UNIS would keep the media updated on the developments in New York on the Security Council meeting on the DRC, and would send through any statements.

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