Bangladesh, Myanmar, Geneva & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (14 March 2025) | United Nations

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
Secretary-General/Bangladesh
Myanmar
Trip Announcement / Geneva
Trip Announcement / Brussels
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Central African Republic
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Syria
Global Trade 2025
Coffee Prices
Islamophobia
Commission on the Status of Women

SECRETARY-GENERAL/BANGLADESH
The Secretary-General today was in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh, as part of his Ramadan solidarity visit with Rohingya refugees and their Bangladeshi host communities.
The Secretary-General had the chance to meet with refugees, many of them young men and women, who told him about their experiences and concerns. He spoke to children who were grateful to be able to go to school in the camps, but missed their homes in Myanmar. And he met young people who still have hope to return to their homeland but are also worried about the impending funding cuts which would dramatically reduce their monthly food rations (from $12.50 to $6 per month). The Secretary-General also visited a jute center, where he had a chance to hear from women who are trying to build a livelihood inside the camps.
The Secretary-General assured every one of the people he met that he would do everything he can to stop the funding cuts, and he apologized to them because the UN and the international community have not been able to stop the conflict in Myanmar.
He later had a press encounter in which he said that he had heard two clear messages: first, Rohingyas want to go back to Myanmar; and second, they want better conditions in the camps.
And at sunset, he shared an Iftar with some 60,000 refugees. He told them that sharing an Iftar with them is a symbol of his deep respect for their religion and their culture. He also said that we are facing a deep humanitarian crisis with the announced funding cuts, and he lamented that as a result, many people will suffer, and some people might die.
“My voice will not end until the international community understands that they have the obligation to invest now in the Rohingya refugees,” he said.
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus was also present at the Iftar, and they met separately earlier in the day. 

MYANMAR
The World Food Programme today warned that more than one million people in Myanmar will be cut off from its food assistance starting in April – due to critical funding shortfalls.
WFP says these cuts come just as increased conflict, displacement and access restrictions are already sharply driving up food aid needs.
Without immediate new funding WFP will only be able to assist 35,000 of the most vulnerable people, including children under the age of five, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people living with disabilities.
The cuts will also impact almost 100,000 internally displaced people in central Rakhine who will have no access to food without WFP assistance, including Rohingya communities in camps.
WFP urgently needs US$ 60 million to maintain its life-saving food assistance to the people of Myanmar this year.
Optional - A staggering 15.2 million people are unable to meet their minimum daily food needs in Myanmar, according to the Myanmar Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan; this is up from 13.3 million last year. Of these, according to the plan, some 2.3 million people are facing emergency levels of hunger. Even with regular support, these families who rely solely on WFP food assistance, are already reporting skipping meals, selling properties or going into debt just to survive.

TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT / GENEVA
On Sunday, the Secretary-General will arrive in Geneva, Switzerland, where, as we announced a few days ago, he is convening the two Cypriot leaders and the Guarantor Powers of Greece, Türkiye and the United Kingdom for an informal meeting on Cyprus at the United Nations Office in Geneva.
The meeting will take place from 17 to 18 March and is being held in the context of the Secretary-General’s good offices efforts on the Cyprus issue and as agreed with the two leaders on 15 October 2024.
The informal meeting will provide an opportunity for a meaningful discussion on the way forward on the Cyprus issue. The United Nations remains committed to supporting the Cypriot leaders and all Cypriots.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon...