Noon briefing of 29 December 2025
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE U.N. SYSTEM
MONDAY, 29 DECEMBER 2025
UNITED STATES’ CONTRIBUTION
Today in Geneva, the United Nations and the Government of the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding under which the US is making a $2 billion commitment to UN-managed humanitarian funds. The agreement covers 17 countries, as well as the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), enabling life-saving assistance to reach people in some of the world’s most severe crises.
In a statement, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher welcomed the announcement as an extraordinary act of leadership by President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Under Secretary of State Jeremy Lewin, calling it a commitment that will save many millions of lives and a major vote of confidence in the Humanitarian Reset to deliver aid faster, smarter and closer to people who need it most.
Mr. Fletcher underscored that accountability and transparency will be central to this partnership, and that American taxpayers will see how every dollar is tracked, measured and turned into real, life-saving impact on the ground.
He added that this investment will significantly strengthen humanitarian operations in 2026 and help close critical gaps across multiple emergencies.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says the humanitarian community in Gaza is providing emergency response as an ongoing rainstorm causes war-damaged buildings to collapse, floods tents and soaks people’s belongings.
Over the past 24 hours, weather conditions have led to further casualties and increased health risks, including hypothermia among babies and illnesses linked to overflowing sewage.
To respond swiftly to flood alerts, a system brings together UN agencies and non-governmental organizations to distribute tents, tarpaulins, warm clothes, blankets and dignity kits across Gaza. The UN and its partners are also mobilizing heavy equipment to pump overflowing sewage away from residential areas.
Separately, humanitarian teams are helping hundreds of people newly displaced from the neighbourhood of At Tufah in Gaza city, where military operations have forced many from their homes. People who remain in, or have returned to, As Sanafour area of the neighbourhood, typically because of lack of space elsewhere, report significant challenges in accessing water, food and basic services.
Meanwhile, other relief operations under the UN-coordinated humanitarian plan for the ceasefire continue.
Between 23 and 26 December, partners leading on water, sanitation and hygiene dispatched tens of thousands of dignity kits, hygiene kits and bottles of shampoo across Gaza for some 150,000 people in need.
As of yesterday, partners working to mitigate food insecurity have reached more than one million people, half of Gaza’s population, through 60 distribution points with the monthly general food assistance for December. In parallel, to support local production and reduce aid dependency, they have distributed veterinary kits and animal feed to more than 2,000 families with livestock between 9 and 26 December.
SUDAN
Following extensive humanitarian negotiations, the UN carried out a security assessment in El Fasher on 26 December, the first such mission since the city came under siege more than 500 days ago.
The team spent several hours on the ground, visiting the Saudi hospital and speaking with people who remain trapped in the city. UN staff reported a severe lack of basic supplies and services.
Humanitarian convoys carrying food and other life-saving items have been blocked from entering El Fasher for months. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled the city and its surrounding areas in recent months, while humanitarian workers continue to provide protection and life-saving assistance to those who have fled.
CAMBODIA/THAILAND
The Secretary-General welcomes the ceasefire agreement between Cambodia and Thailand as a positive step towards alleviating the suffering of civilians, ending current hostilities and creating an environment conducive to achieving lasting peace.
The Secretary-General expresses his appreciation to Malaysia, the current ASEAN Chair, as well as China and the United States, for their efforts in support of a peaceful resolution of the situation.
The United Nations stands ready to support efforts aimed at sustaining peace and stability in the region.
LEBANON
On Friday, 26 December 2025, heavy machine gunfire from Israel Defense Forces (IDF) positions south of the Blue Line impacted close to a UNIFIL patrol inspecting a roadblock in the village of Bastarra in southern Lebanon. The gunfire followed a grenade explosion nearby. The blast from the gunfire and the explosion left one United Nations peacekeeper injured.
In a separate incident on Friday, another UNIFIL patrol reported machine gunfire from south of the Blue Line in immediate proximity to their position near the village of Kfar Shouba.
UNIFIL had informed the Israel Defense Forces about the activities in those areas in advance, following usual practice for patrols in sensitive areas near the Blue Line.
In recent days, incidents of restriction of UNIFIL’s movement by local individuals have also taken place in the Mission’s area of operations.
Any act that may jeopardize the safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers is completely unacceptable. We reiterate our call to all actors to cease activities that risk the wellbeing of peacekeepers and interfere with their mandated activities in support of the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701. We remind the parties of their responsibility to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers.
SYRIA
In a statement issued on Friday, 26 December, the Secretary-General unequivocally condemned the deadly terrorist attack during Friday prayers on 26 December at the Ali Bin Abi Talib mosque in the Wadi al-Dahab neighbourhood of Homs, Syria.
The Secretary-General reiterates that attacks against civilians and places of worship are unacceptable. He stresses that those responsible must be identified and brought to justice.
The Secretary-General takes note that the Syrian authorities have condemned the attack and reaffirmed the State’s commitment to combat terrorism and hold perpetrators accountable.
The Secretary-General extends his condolences to the families of those killed and expresses his sympathy to all those injured, wishing them a prompt and full recovery.
AFGHANISTAN
A United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) survey in Badakhshan, Balkh and Kunduz, 3 provinces in Northern Afghanistan, highlights that compliance with the narcotics ban issued in April 2022 remains high. Still, the vast majority of households have been unable to recover lost earnings.
According to UNODC, on average, 85 per cent of families across the surveyed provinces reported either no replacement, or only partial replacement, of their poppy income, while only 15 per cent fully compensated for their losses through alternative livelihood activities. UNODC notes that this reflects the profound impact of the economic shock on farming communities and the urgent need for targeted livelihood support.
At the same time, UNODC notes that climate change has emerged as an additional and severe threat to agricultural livelihoods. Recurring droughts, irregular rainfall and water scarcity are undermining productivity and leaving households with limited sustainable options for rebuilding. The survey highlights that surface water remains the dominant irrigation source, used by 65 per cent of poppy-growing villages and 88 per cent of non-poppy villages. Stress on both surface and groundwater sources further exacerbates vulnerability, pushing many communities closer to food insecurity and poverty.