The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
We're not planning to leave Gaza at all, says UN’s top aid official
UN aid teams and partner organizations remain deeply committed to delivering lifesaving supplies into Gaza, despite the increasing dangers of working there, the Organization’s top aid official said on Wednesday.
Responding to media reports that the UN had warned that the aid effort may have to stop unless the security situation and coordination with the Israeli military improved, Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths denied that any “ultimatum” had been given.
“We continue, as we have done for these many, many months to negotiate with the Israeli authorities and others with a lot of help, by the way, from the US, as you know, to get the right conditions to allow it to be delivered safely and securely,” he told UN News.
“So we're not running away from Gaza, at all, but what is true now - and I think that's the basis for this story - is of course that we are particularly concerned about the security situation in Gaza, and it is becoming more and more difficult to operate.”
The UN relief chief’s comments follow the publication on Tuesday of the latest dire assessment of food insecurity in Gaza, which highlighted the “high risk” of famine across the whole Gaza Strip “as long as conflict continues and humanitarian access is restricted”.
“Aid can make a difference, that's why we need to get all these crossings open,” Mr. Griffiths said. “That’s why we need safety and security, that's why we need the pier to restart and get that aid off the beach if that can be done too. We need all hands on deck for this…We'll keep on at it. But we fail them daily every time we're not able to get aid through to the people who need it.”
“The problem is a political one, that's the real effort, that must be the focus of all our efforts. And indeed, one of the interesting aspects of the Middle East is that there is a lot of political diplomacy, a lot of mediation going on. By the way, I wish we could see that elsewhere, like in Sudan, but we need to see it bring results.”
After almost nine months of war sparked by Hamas-led terror attacks and hostage-taking in Israel, UN aid agencies continue to report ongoing strikes across Gaza by the Israeli military, resulting in civilian casualties, massive forced displacement and the destruction of houses and other public services.
In its latest update, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, reported “especially intense” airstrikes in central Gaza in recent days, particularly in Bureij, Maghazi and Nuseirat refugee camps and eastern Deir Al Balah.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military’s ground offensive “continues to expand”, UNRWA noted, particularly in the southern regions of Gaza City and eastern Rafah, causing further suffering and further “destabilizing” humanitarian aid flows.
In addition to the war in Gaza, deadly violence has continued unabated against Palestinians in the West Bank, while a renewed escalation between Israel and Hezbollah militants across the frontier with Lebanon prompted a warning from the UN Secretary-General that one false move could trigger a catastrophe for the whole region and beyond.
“The problem is a political one, that's the real effort, that must be the focus of all our efforts,” Mr. Griffiths insisted. “It's not about whether the UN aid agencies are ready, it's about whether the world is going to pitch in to stop this going south.”
He added: “Indeed, one of the interesting aspects of the Middle East is that there is a lot of political diplomacy, a lot of mediation going on. By the way, I wish we could see that elsewhere, like in Sudan, but we need to see it bring results.”
Beyond Gaza, Mr. Griffiths defended the Organization’s role in providing help to people in emergencies around the world.
“We delivered aid to 144 million people last year, that's two-thirds of what we hoped to reach at a time when funding was problematic,” he said. “The aid agencies are doing an extraordinary job, and in particular within a global aid agency, the frontline deliverers.”
As staggering as the number of people receiving assistance is, many tens of millions more remain beyond the UN’s reach, for lack of funding.
“The disparity between the amount of money, you know, more than $2 trillion a year spent on war and the amount of money spent on humanitarian aid for peace-making is an astonishing disparity. And it's a shameful one.”
He added: “We have to get rid of the notion that investing more than $2 trillion in war is a way of getting security in this world - it is not the way to secure this world. The way to secure this world is through people in general to their neighbors being kind to their neighbors too.
Reflecting on his four decades working “on the edges of war zones” and in the diplomatic corridors of power, UK national Mr. Griffiths insisted on the need for radical reform on the global humanitarian system, given the rising needs and protracted emergencies.
Changes may yet come, he noted, pointing to the fact that the “UN and civil society, host governments across the world and regional organizations” should “start looking at the fact that power is being redistributed in this world today. And maybe that's not a bad thing either…We need to do this all at the behest of the people in those communities not what we think is best, but what they know is best.”
This point was made clear to the veteran humanitarian in Sudan where he met representatives from civil society organizations manning emergency treatment rooms “on those front lines, back in Khartoum, across the country. They don't go away, they are the standard I think, for all of us to be able to say, ‘Yes, this (work) is definitely worth it.”
Just days before he steps down as UN Emergency Relief Coordinator – a role UN insiders concede is among the most punishing in the UN system, given its constant travel and media attention – Mr. Griffiths rejected the “incredibly self-indulgent” suggestion that he might slow down in Geneva, where he and his family have lived for years.
He also remained coy about the possible identity of his future successor, who sits at the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA – although he offered one piece of advice: “I believe this fundamentally from my, life, one life saved - one life saved - makes it worthwhile. And I am amazed by the resilience of communities. And I am amazed by the courage of aid workers.”
ends
STORY: Martin Griffiths Emergency Relief Chief Interview
SOURCE: UNTV CH
LENGTH: 3’20”
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
DATELINE: 26 JUNE 2024 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
1. Exterior wide, UN Geneva flag alley.
2. SOUNDBITE (English) – Martin Griffiths, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator: “My response is very clear, it’s not an ultimatum. We continue, as we have done for these many, many months to negotiate with the Israeli authorities and others with a lot of help, by the way, from the US, as you know, to get the right conditions to allow it to be delivered safely and securely. So we're not running away from Gaza, at all, but what is true now - and I think that's the basis for this story - is of course that we are particularly concerned about the security situation in Gaza, and it is becoming more and more difficult to operate.”
3. Wide, UN Geneva flag alley.
4. SOUNDBITE (English) – Martin Griffiths, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator: “Aid can make a difference. That's why we need to get all these crossings open, that's why we need safety and security, that's why we need the pier to restart and get that aid off the beach if that can be done too. We need all hands on deck for this.”
5. Medium-wide, UN flag alley and Palais des Nations.
6. SOUNDBITE (English) – Martin Griffiths, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator: “We'll keep on at it. But we fail them daily every time we're not able to get aid through to the people who need it.”
7. Medium-wide, UN Geneva flag alley, Palais des Nations.
8. SOUNDBITE (English) – Martin Griffiths, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator: “The problem is a political one, that's the real effort, that must be the focus of all our efforts. And indeed, one of the interesting aspects of the Middle East is that there is a lot of political diplomacy, a lot of mediation going on. By the way, I wish we could see that elsewhere, like in Sudan, but we need to see it bring results.”
9. Medium, UN Geneva flag alley.
10. SOUNDBITE (English) – Martin Griffiths, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator: “But it's not about whether the UN aid agencies are ready, it's about whether the world is going to pitch in to stop this going south.”
11. Wide, UN Geneva flag alley facing broken chair sculpture.
12. SOUNDBITE (English) – Martin Griffiths, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator: “We delivered aid to 144 million people last year, that's two-thirds of what we hoped to reach at a time when funding was problematic. The aid agencies - and it goes back to the point I was making earlier about Gaza - the aid agencies are doing an extraordinary job, and in particular within a global aid agency, the frontline deliverers.”
13. Medium-wide, UN Geneva flag alley.
14. SOUNDBITE (English) – Martin Griffiths, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator: “I had the privilege of meeting representatives from the emergency rooms; the Sudanese civil society organizations from across the country, by the way, came out to visit to brief and who then went back and are still working on those front lines back in Khartoum, across the country. They don't go away, they are, you know, they are the standard I think, for all of us to be able to say, yes, this is definitely worth it.”
15. Medium-wide, UN Geneva flag alley.
16. SOUNDBITE (English) – Martin Griffiths, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator: “I believe this fundamentally from my, life, one life saved - one life saved - makes it worthwhile. And I am amazed by the resilience of communities. And I am amazed by the courage of aid workers.”
17. Medium-close, UN Geneva flag alley.
18. SOUNDBITE (English) – Martin Griffiths, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator: “The disparity between the amount of money, you know, more than $2 trillion a year spent on war and the amount of money spent on humanitarian aid for peace-making is an astonishing disparity. And it's a shameful one.”
We're not running away from Gaza - at all, says UN’s top aid official
UN aid teams and partner organizations remain deeply committed to delivering lifesaving aid into Gaza, despite the many and dangerous obstacles workers continue to encounter, the Organization’s top aid official said on Wednesday.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM , OHCHR , UNFPA , UNOG , UNHCR , WHO
Yemen’s humanitarian crisis growing by the hour amid spike in displacement
Yemenis displaced by renewed fighting have described fleeing for their lives amid shelling and gunfire, aid agencies reported on Friday, while highlighting the dramatic increase in humanitarian needs in the country and in Djibouti, where thousands have sought shelter.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office issued on Friday a report documenting a shocking pattern of sexual violence amid Russia’s full-scale armed attack on Ukraine.
2
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences | WMO
As world’s water reserves change, countries must prepare for a new reality: WMO
New data showing that rivers were at their lowest level for decades last year provides further evidence that the climate crisis is real and countries must act immediately to protect themselves from the increasing threat to communities and livelihoods, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Thursday.
The key findings from WMO’s State of Global Water Resources 2025 report covering the hydrological cycle and extreme events in the five-year period to last year:
- 2025 was one of driest years for river discharge in 35 years
- Past seven years have seen abnorfmal river flows
- Water storage on Earth’s land surface has decreased in past decade
- Widespread glacier loss across all regions for fourth consecutive year
- Asia and Africa are regions most affected by water-related disasters
- Water data availability has improved, but gaps remain in hard-hit areas
Highlighting the long-term decline in the Earth’s freshwater storage and glacier melt, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo explained that the planet’s water reserves used to act as a planetary “savings account” that absorbed the occasional dry season, avoiding a water crisis. “One of the central stories of the 2025 report is what is happening to that savings account? And the simple answer is that we are depleting it,” she told journalists in Geneva.
Groundwater reserves are equally stretched and have been in decline since 2014, WMO’s report states, with nearly two-thirds of monitored wells worldwide showing levels lower than the historical norm and indicating a shift “further toward deficit…not recovery”.
“At the same time, we are seeing more water-related disasters,” Ms. Saulo said, while also stressing that the currently strengthening El Niño “will increase the risk of drought in some areas, and flooding in others”.
Glaciers disappearing
In 2025, for the fourth consecutive year, every major glaciated region on Earth lost ice mass, leading to short-term hazards including floods and long-term water insecurity, according to WMO.
Responding to a question about whether the changing global water cycle might have contributed to the deadly Nepal-China flooding disaster, Ms. Saulo explained that melting ice and rock was just one factor in the chain of events that ultimately sent a massive and deadly wall of water and debris downstream on 26 August, killing at least 1,367 people.
“You asked if it could happen again? Absolutely; the problem in this region is that there’s 63,700 glaciers at the last count,” she told a Press Conference in Geneva. “Even if you’re looking with remote sensing with satellites at these glaciers, you might see some faults, you might see some slight shifting, that does not mean necessarily catastrophic collapse. So, in order to plan for this, it’s very, very difficult. But the international community is looking very hard at ways in which we can bring people together to solve some of these monitoring issues.”
Data indicates that glaciers shrank between 2023 and 2025 with cumulative losses of 1,400 gigatonnes of water – or about one third of annual fresh water needs.
Every major glacier region on Earth lost ice for the fourth consecutive year.
“All 19 glacier regions around the globe lost ice; in Central Asia, Iceland, the Russian Arctic and western Canada and the United States, it was among the three worst years on record,” said Wayne Jenkinson, WMO’s Director of Hydrology and Cryosphere.
Some regions with smaller glaciers such as Central Europe, the Caucasus, the western Canada and the United States may already have reached “peak water”, Mr. Jenkinson warned.
“After this point, the glacier gives less meltwater each year simply because there is less ice left to melt. That matters for every community downstream that relies on water during hot, dry summers,” he explained.
Narelle van der Wel, WMO’s Head of Cryosphere Monitoring, Predictions and Services, stressed that while some further glacier loss is unavoidable, the eventual scale of the decline is not predetermined.
“Some glacier loss is inevitable, but total loss of glaciers is not yet inevitable,” she said, pointing to emissions reductions as central to limiting future losses.
Preparing for moving baselines
The report does not attribute every observed change to climate change alone. WMO says pressure on water resources and natural variability also contribute.
Mr. Jenkinson said governments need to prepare for “moving baselines” as historical patterns become less reliable.
“The situation 30 years ago is not where we are today,” he said. Countries, he added, need to prepare “for those changes that have really already arrived”.
ends
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WHO
The deadly Ebola virus outbreak in DR Congo continues to spread across the vast country despite some success in containing it, aid officials said on Tuesday, in a renewed call for international support to help responders on the ground.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | WFP
‘Super El Niño’ and converging crises worsen hunger in South Sudan and across the region - WFP
South Sudan’s hunger crisis is becoming increasingly catastrophic as violence, extreme weather and dwindling aid leave millions without enough food, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UN WOMEN
In war-torn Gaza, a growing number of women-headed households face “impossible decisions” every day, amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes and still-scarce resources, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk made the following remarks to the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar at the 63rd Human Rights Council.
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk today delivered an update on the global human rights situation to the 63rdsession of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Repeated attacks on humanitarian warehouses put vital medical aid at risk in Ukraine - WHO
A new airstrike overnight damaged one of the main warehouses used by the UN health agency to store humanitarian medical supplies in the Kyiv region, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. This is the third attack to affect a WHO-used storage in the last three months.
2
2
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | WMO
Powerful El Niño heightens extreme-weather risks through 2027, as countries brace for impact - WMO
Fuelled by extraordinarily warm waters across the tropical Pacific Ocean, the El Niño climate pattern is expected to intensify in the coming months. Forecasters are almost certain that it will persist through February next year, with unusually warm conditions expected across the globe.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , IFRC , UN WOMEN , WHO
Nepal flood deaths near 1,000 as those spared struggle to survive – UN humanitarians
With the death toll in Nepal’s catastrophic flash floods inching towards 1,000, rescue workers are facing harsh conditions while survivors lack access to food, safe water and health care, humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNDRR , IFRC , WHO
Nepal: Flooding disaster “not over” as humanitarians work around the clock
While search and rescue efforts continued Friday following flash floods and mudslides in northern Nepal, UN humanitarians are taking stock of the devastation amid concerns over more flooding to come.