Noon briefing of 5 January 2026

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC

SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES

MONDAY, 5 JANUARY 2026

SECURITY COUNCIL 

This morning, the Security Council held a meeting on the situation in Venezuela, and members of the Council heard from the Secretary-General. 

In the remarks that were delivered on his behalf by the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, the Secretary-General said he is deeply concerned about the possible intensification of instability in Venezuela, the potential impact on the region, and the precedent the US military operation may set for how relations between and among states are conducted.  

The Secretary-General said that he remains deeply concerned that rules of international law have not been respected with regard to the military intervention on January 3rd.  

He highlighted that the Charter of the UN enshrines the prohibition of the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any Member State.   

The Secretary-General said it is possible to prevent a wider and more destructive conflagration. He called on all Venezuelan actors to engage in an inclusive, democratic dialogue in which all sectors of society can determine their future. He further urged Venezuela’s neighbours, and the international community more broadly, to act in a spirit of solidarity and in adherence to the principles, laws and rules erected to promote peaceful coexistence. 

And you saw that over the weekend, we did issue a statement on Venezuela that emphasized the importance of full respect by all of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations. 

VENEZUELA 

On the humanitarian front in Venezuela, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that the situation in Venezuela remains dire. 

At the start of this year, some 7.9 million people in Venezuela were found to need urgent support. This is the equivalent of more than a quarter of the country’s population. We, along with our humanitarian partners, under the leadership of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Venezuela, are assessing the situation, focusing on providing support as needed. We continue to provide assistance to the most vulnerable, including food, health care and protection services. The UN emphasizes the importance of respect for international law, the need to protect civilians and of preserving humanitarian operational continuity, so that assistance can be delivered in line with humanitarian principles. Funding is obviously also critical.                                                        

The Humanitarian Response Plan for Venezuela remains critically underfunded. Last year, only 17 per cent of the more than $600 million needed was received, making it one of the least funded country appeals in the world. More support is urgently needed to keep life-saving aid reaching the most vulnerable. 

UN PEACEKEEPING/MIDDLE EAST 

The Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean‑Pierre Lacroix, has arrived in Beirut, Lebanon today.  

Tomorrow, he will travel south to Naqoura, where he will meet with UNIFIL leadership and peacekeepers and visit several of the Mission’s positions along the Blue Line.  

On Wednesday, he will return to Beirut for meetings with Lebanese authorities, including President Joseph Aoun, senior ministers, and the Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, General Rodolphe Haykal. All of this to discuss the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701. 

He will then travel on to the Golan to visit members of the UN Disengagement Observer Force on the Golan, and on to Damascus to meet with Syrian authorities.              

From there, his mission will take him to Jordan and then to Israel, including the headquarters of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), before concluding his travels to the region in Saudi Arabia. 

These visits are an opportunity for Mr. Lacroix to express solidarity and support for UN peacekeepers, troop-contributing countries, mission partners, and the communities they serve, as peacekeeping missions continue to face financial and operational challenges while implementing their mandates in an increasingly complex environment, to say the least. 

We will share additional details of his travels as they take place. 

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY 

Turning to the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially in Gaza, OCHA tells us that aid workers continue to respond to people’s immense needs, despite persistent impediments hindering a full scale-up of humanitarian operations.  

Last week alone, we and our humanitarian partners brought more than 10,000 metric tonnes of aid through the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing and the Zikim crossing. That covers Monday to Sunday, based on the data collected by the mechanism created by resolution 2720, which – as you will recall – doesn’t include bilateral donations or the commercial sector coming into Gaza. Supplies that we were able to monitor included food and cooking ingredients, animal fodder, soap and other hygiene items, including diapers, winter clothing, blankets and mattresses.  

Inside Gaza, we and our partners have started January’s round of general food assistance for families. Each family receives two food parcels and two 25-kilogram bags of flour.            

Since the ceasefire and by the end of 2025, rations covered between 50 and 75 per cent of the minimum caloric needs. The January round is the first since October 2023 in which partners had sufficient stocks to meet 100 per cent of that minimum caloric standard.  

To further address food insecurity, we are supporting the production of about 170,000 bread bundles every day, each weighing 2 kilograms. These are distributed free of charge in more than 400 shelters, and at subsidized prices at about 150 shops. At the same time, hot meal kitchens continue to operate, supported by our colleagues on the ground, now serving more than 1.5 million meals every single day.  

Also I would encourage you to look on the OCHA website, as they have just published a recap of progress made during the second month of the ceasefire.  

SUDAN 

We remain deeply concerned by the continuing suffering of civilians amid escalating violence, particularly in the Darfur and Kordofan regions. 

In North Darfur State, drone strikes on January 3rd reportedly caused civilian casualties in the villages of Al-Zurq and Ghurair, including strikes on a market and a medical clinic. On the same day in West Darfur State, one civilian was reported killed following two drone attacks in Kulbus locality. Our humanitarian partners say the strikes in Kulbus displaced more than 600 people. 

In South Kordofan State, multiple drone attacks between January 1st and 3rd in Dilling reportedly resulted in civilian deaths and injuries. The situation in the city remains dire, with civilians trapped under siege and humanitarian conditions continuing to deteriorate as access to essential supplies is increasingly restricted. 

We reiterate our call for the protection of civilians and for the unhindered humanitarian access to all affected areas. Continued and predictable humanitarian access to deliver life-saving assistance and to prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian situation is essential.  

ISRAEL-OPT 

Over the weekend, we also issued a statement expressing the Secretary-General’s deep concern at the Israeli authorities’ announcement to suspend the operations of several international non-governmental organizations in the occupied Palestinian territory. 

The Secretary-General in the statement calls for this measure to be reversed, stressing that international non-governmental organizations are indispensable to life-saving humanitarian work and that the suspension risks undermining the fragile progress made during the ceasefire. 

The Secretary-General underscores that, pursuant to its obligations under international humanitarian law, Israel must allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for all civilians in need. The full statement was shared with you.    

UKRAINE 

Turning to Ukraine, our humanitarian colleagues there say that attacks and hostilities over the weekend reportedly caused dozens of civilian casualties, including children, and left many others without electricity amid below-zero temperatures. In Kharkiv City, an attack killed at least six civilians, injured dozens of others and also damaged residential buildings and health-care facilities, leaving parts of the city without electricity, without water and without gas. In the capital, Kyiv, and its region, overnight attacks on January 5th also killed and injured civilians. Many residential buildings in the region were also damaged, and several thousand households remain without electricity. Aid workers provided support in Kharkiv, as well as in Kyiv, assisting those who need it. 

In Chernihiv, Donetsk, Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, attacks were also reported and caused civilian casualties and damage to critical infrastructure, resulting in power outages in those regions.  Nationwide, scheduled power outages continue due to the cumulative damage to energy infrastructure, that is what the grid operator in Ukraine is telling us. Our humanitarian colleagues also note that on 2 January, authorities announced mandatory evacuations of more than 3,000 children and their families from front-line areas in Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia Regions. Evacuations are continuing in Donetsk Region amid concerns over children remaining in front-line towns.  

FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS 

Two more Member States paid their regular budget dues before the end of the calendar year. Belize and Syria paid their Regular Budget dues for 2025, bringing us up to 151 fully paid up Member States. 

The assessment letters for this year will go out shortly and we will of course flag those.