Dear members of the media,Around the world, people are making their voices heard.In Europe and far beyond, many have taken to the streets out of frustration with the rising cost of living.In much of the developing world, everyday people are being squeezed.Everywhere, pressures are building over the price of food, fuel and other basics. Interest rates are up – for people and countries. And for young people, the promise of a better future is slipping further out of reach.Let me be clear: The violence and destruction we have seen on the streets is unacceptable – and those responsible for criminal activities must be held accountable.    At the same time, we cannot let intolerable violence obscure the legitimate and very real grievances of the many peaceful protestors. We must connect the dots and better understand how deeply linked those very real and peacefully expressed grievances are to the wider turmoil in our world.Today, conflicts are not only intensifying.They are expanding.In climate, we know El Niño as a disturbance in one part of the planet that disrupts weather patterns and upends lives thousands of kilometres away.We are now witnessing an El Niño of war.Conflict is feeding conflict.And the consequences are travelling farther and faster.From the Middle East to Ukraine to Sudan, we are seeing civilians and civilian infrastructure deliberately thrust into the line of fire.Nothing seems to be off-limits.Homes.  Hospitals.  Schools.  Airports.  Power stations.  Energy facilities.Attacks directed against civilians and civilian objects are prohibited under international law.They must stop.But the consequences do not stop in the battle zones.War travels -- through energy markets, shipping lanes, supply chains, and financial systems.The distance from the Strait of Hormuz to a family home or village market is shorter than we think.Earlier this year, I warned that disruption in the Middle East was threatening global energy and food security, intensifying cost-of-living pressures and hitting the most vulnerable hardest.But we also need to recognize something deeper.These shocks are landing on a world that is already profoundly unequal.A world where some can absorb higher prices, while others must choose between food and heat.Where some countries can borrow more cheaply to protect their people, while others must choose between servicing debt and investing in health, education and their future.Where opportunity, wealth, and – increasingly – power is concentrated.War does not create all these inequalities. But it feeds and exploits them – and exposes the fundamental unfairness of an economic system that forces those with the least to absorb the greatest shocks.The answer cannot be an ever-widening circle of confrontation, including in the Middle East.Just look at Yemen. We see escalating hostilities around the city of Ta’iz and elsewhere.We see continued Houthi attacks against civilian targets in Saudi Arabia which are totally unacceptable. All of this is inflicting immense suffering on civilians and adding to regional tensions. Hundreds of thousands in Yemen have been forcibly displaced and humanitarian needs are mounting. We need restraint – and Yemen needs a political horizon. Earlier this week, I spoke with the head of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen – and my Special Envoy is actively engaging with all parties to preserve the path for dialogue.Everywhere, the fighting must stop.International law must be respected.Civilians must be protected.International navigational rights and freedoms must be upheld.And diplomacy must be given the space to succeed.At the same time, we must not lose sight of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.In Gaza, essential aid is still being severely restricted by Israel ahead of the fast-approaching winter – together with the difficulties being created to implement the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict endorsed by the Security Council.And in the occupied West Bank, Palestinians continue to suffer daily attacks by Israeli settlers. The clear goal is to drive communities off their land.  Journalists are being attacked.Diplomats are being attacked.The situation is simply out of control. Meanwhile, funding is falling short.The World Food Programme urgently needs $450 million to feed people in Gaza and the West Bank for the next six months.That is the equivalent to what the world spends on its militaries in around 90 minutes.I appeal to donors to step up.And there must be a credible political path towards lasting peace, ending the occupation and realizing a two-State solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security.It is in the context of all these issues that I will travel to Egypt tomorrow.I will carry this same message with me:We need to stop the widening of war, protect civilians and create the political space for diplomacy and peace.People everywhere want security.They want dignity.They want governments and international institutions to deliver.That means tackling the inequalities that divide societies – and stopping the conflicts that are multiplying human suffering, driving prices higher, draining resources from development, and pushing an already unequal world further apart. Thank you.Questions and AnswersQuestion: Good morning, Secretary-General. Safe travels to Egypt tomorrow. I wonder what the consequences are for the United Nations, for international humanitarian law, international law, if leaders and governments do not connect the dots as you've laid out here today.Secretary-General: The problem is not for the United Nations; the problem is for the people that are suffering dramatically everywhere. Suffering because of war, suffering because of the attacks on civilians in war contexts, and suffering because with prices rising, with interest rates rising everywhere in the world, because of the wars, they are having, especially in developing countries and especially in vulnerable communities, extreme difficulties in order to guarantee their survival. So I'm not worried about the United Nations, I'm worried about the people in the world that suffers with the conflicts we are witnessing without any limitation.Question: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary-General. Can you tell us, in addition to what you just told Sherwin, what are your hopes for the trip to Egypt, what would you like to see come out of that trip? And on another conflict that the UN has just been part of talks on, in Geneva, on Sudan, do you think that there is a realistic possibility that all the key players involved in that conflict can finally get on the same page to try to end it?Secretary-General: Well, first of all, Egypt is a country that is vital in any perspective of a solution of the Middle East crisis, and in particular in the defense of the rights of the Palestinian people. But Egypt is also one of the mediators of the conflict that has erupted between the United States and Iran. And obviously, it is very important to discuss with the Egyptians the situation in its neighbours in Sudan and in Libya, just to give two examples, and I'm confident that this will be a very fruitful visit. On the other hand, if one looks at the situation in Sudan, it's absolutely essential that especially countries that are around Sudan, closer or further afield, stop supplying with weapons those that are killing civilians in an absolutely devastating way. Thank you very much.

EL GOUNA, Egypt – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Egypt, El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) and Zest announced Fares El Tabey as the winner of the third edition of the Eish Short Film Competition for his film concept, “Between Two Shores”, during a special event at the ninth edition of El Gouna Film Festival.Launched in 2024, Eish invites filmmakers from Egypt and across the region to explore the human dimensions of food security through cinema. Its name, meaning both “bread” and “life” in Arabic, reflects the symbolic connection between food, livelihoods, dignity and resilience.“Food security needs to be part of conversations beyond the development sector, and cinema gives us a powerful way to make that happen,” said Rawad Halabi, WFP Representative and Country Director in Egypt. “Congratulations to Fares El Tabey, whose vision adds a new voice to this important conversation. We are proud to see Eish expand year after year and reach new levels of recognition, with Khufu, our first-edition winner, receiving the Silver Leopard award at the Locarno Film Festival and still continuing its debut across seven film festivals globally. Together with El Gouna Film Festival and Zest, we want to build on that momentum, supporting creative voices that bring food security closer to people and encourage wider engagement.”The winning concept was selected following a review of submissions by a jury comprising producer, director and writer Mark Lotfy; executive producer Nora el Khatib; writer and director Zena Abdelbaky; and director Bassam Mortada. The jury brought together perspectives from film production, directing and documentary storytelling.“Eish reflects the spirit of ‘Cinema for Humanity’ by creating space for stories that connect artistic expression with issues shaping people’s lives,” said Amr Mansi, Executive Director and Co-founder of El Gouna Film Festival. “Over the years, we have continued to strengthen our commitment to cinema that encourages dialogue and brings human experiences into focus. Our partnership with WFP gives that commitment a practical expression: supporting filmmakers to explore food security through their own perspectives and helping those stories find an audience.”The winning film concept will receive seed funding to support its production, helping bring the creative vision behind “Between Two Shores” to the screen and share a new perspective on food security with wider audiences."Food is never just food. It is how we provide for one another and hold a community together. When a community is food secure, everything else becomes possible. That is the cause we have chosen to support alongside WFP, and one we have contributed to. Last year, our entire community rode together in Cycling for Humanity, every kilometre going directly to WFP’s work in Egypt. This year, our support has continued. Meanwhile, the Eish Competition takes it further still: it gives filmmakers a platform to put food security in front of audiences who might not otherwise engage with it. Film has a unique power to make people feel the weight of an issue, not just understand it. This is a partnership we are proud of, and one that is here to stay,” said Mohamed Amer CEO of El Gouna and Managing Director at Orascom Development Egypt.“For me, Eish is about helping filmmakers bring stories that matter to the screen and reach their fullest cinematic potential. The intersection of food security and cinema has unlimited potential. With Khufu, I saw how collaboration can turn a prize into a real achievement. This is what we hope to build on: supporting stories that deserve to be told and can live beyond their makers. Looking ahead, I hope we can grow Eish to support more than one film per edition in future editions.” said Abdallah Dnewar, Head of Zest Specials and Artistic Director of the Eish competition.By bringing together emerging filmmakers, established artists and creative partners, the event placed food security at the centre of a wider cultural conversation, celebrating new talent and the role of storytelling in raising awareness. 

Child marriage compromises the education, health, and safety of millions of girls across the globe. Fundamentally, it is rooted in poverty. The risk goes up in times of conflict, climate shocks, and displacement, leaving families with fewer options for their daughters. But we know how to halt this harmful practice. Keeping girls in school, improving economic opportunities for families, enhancing social and legal protections, and challenging discriminatory gender norms all help girls reclaim their agency. Over the past 25 years, such solutions have prevented an estimated 68 million child marriages. Yet recent funding cuts threaten progress. At the rate we’re going, it will take centuries to eliminate child marriage. On this International Day of the Girl Child, I call on governments, the private sector, civil society, and community leaders to scale up investment in proven solutions, and ensure they reach every girl, everywhere. It’s time to end child marriage once and for all. Together, let us defend the right of all girls to a childhood, and ensure every daughter, every sister, grows up free to shape her own future. ***

Mr. Rampolla del Tindaro has devoted over 25 years of his professional career to development cooperation, humanitarian assistance and peacebuilding. Most recently, he served as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Venezuela, where he also held the role of Humanitarian Coordinator, leading United Nations efforts to advance sustainable development, foster partnerships and dialogue, mobilise expertise and resources across the United Nations system, and coordinate support for vulnerable populations affected by humanitarian challenges. Before that, as United Nations Resident Coordinator in Papua New Guinea, he led the United Nations country team in support of national development priorities, strengthened partnerships, and promoted a coherent United Nations approach to sustainable development and peacebuilding. He also held various leadership positions within the Organization, including Chief Political Affairs Officer at the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa in Libreville, Gabon, Chief of Office of the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support and earlier at the Department of Political Affairs in New York, Head of the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Tanzania and Chief Technical Advisor with the United Nations Development Programme in Rwanda. Prior to joining the United Nations, Mr. Rampolla del Tindaro worked with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, holding assignments in the Western Balkans and Central Asia. Mr. Rampolla del Tindaro holds a master’s degree in international affairs from the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom. He is married and has one child.