22 October 2026
Speaking to reporters in New York
ahead of a visit to Egypt, António Guterres addressed
growing public discontent in Europe and beyond, as people
have taken to the streets to express frustration over the
rising cost of living.
“Everywhere, pressures are
building over the price of food, fuel and other basics,”
he said. “Interest rates are up – for people and
countries. And for young people, the promise of a better
future is slipping further out of reach.”
No fire
without smoke
While Mr. Guterres clearly denounced
the violence and destruction seen during days of protests in
France, Italy and elsewhere – stressing that those
responsible for criminal activities must be held accountable
– he said legitimate grievances of the protestors cannot
be overlooked.
“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,” he told journalists.
He said that today,
conflicts are not only intensifying but expanding, which he
likened to the El Niño climate phenomenon that occurs in
one region but disrupts weather patterns and upends lives
thousands of kilometres away.
Conflict fuelling
conflict
“We are now witnessing an El Niño of
war,” he warned, referring to the extreme weather pattern
which threatens to upend the global climate in the coming
months. “Conflict is feeding conflict. And the
consequences are travelling farther and faster.”
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The
Secretary-General pointed to the Middle East, Ukraine and
Sudan, where civilians and civilian infrastructure –
homes, hospitals, schools, airports, power stations and
energy facilities – are deliberately coming under
fire.
“But the consequences do not stop in the
battle zones,” he continued, as war disrupts energy
markets, shipping, supply chains and financial
systems.
War feeds inequality
He said these
shocks are hitting a world that was already profoundly
unequal – “where some can absorb higher prices, while
others must choose between food and heat”.
Moreover,
while some countries can borrow more cheaply to protect
their people, others must choose between paying off debt and
investing in health, education and the future.
“War
does not create all these inequalities,” he said. “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.”
Middle East
cauldron
The Secretary-General insisted that “the
answer cannot be an ever-widening circle of confrontation,
including in the Middle East”. Highlighting the situation
in Yemen, he voiced concern over escalation around the city
of Taiz and elsewhere and continued Houthi attacks against
civilian targets in Saudi Arabia.
The violence is
inflicting immense suffering on civilians, adding to
regional tensions and increasing displacement and
humanitarian needs, he said, appealing for restraint and
political dialogue.
Turning to the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, he noted that Israel is still
severely restricting essential aid ahead of the winter
season. Difficulties also persist around implementing the UN
Security
Council-backed Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza
Conflict.
Meanwhile, Palestinians in the occupied West
Bank continue to suffer daily attacks by Israeli settlers,
and journalists and diplomats are being attacked.
He
appealed to donors to step up contributions to the UN World
Food Programme (WFP) which urgently requires
$450 million for its operations in Gaza and the West Bank
for the next six months.
He also reiterated the need
for a two-State solution between Israelis and
Palestinians.
Security and dignity for all
The
Secretary-General said that his message in Egypt will focus
on stopping the widening of war, protecting civilians and
creating the political space for diplomacy and
peace.
“People everywhere want security. They want
dignity. They want governments and international
institutions to deliver,” he concluded.
“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.”
