Noon briefing of 23 January 2026

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES

FRIDAY, 23 JANUARY 2026

UN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL 

The Secretary-General spoke this morning to mark the 80th anniversary of the first meeting of the Economic and Social Council, or ECOSOC. He said that for eight full decades, ECOSOC has been an engine of progress. And yet he noted that despite signs of real progress, our world is in a precarious state. He said that today’s intertwined crises demand urgent, collective responses, and ECOSOC can help lead the way. 

Mr. Guterres urged Member States to take immediate steps to implement the reforms they committed to in the Pact for the Future, including steps to strengthen ECOSOC’s work as a principal organ for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue, and decisions on economic and social development. 

The Secretary-General said that ECOSOC has a vital role to play in our divided and unequal world — and we must waste no time in strengthening it. 

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL 

Today, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed was in Paris to take part in a UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) event to mark the International Day of Education.                

In her remarks, she underscored the role of young people as co-creators in shaping education. She also highlighted education as one of the most powerful tools to change the world, and emphasized its importance for sustainable development, inclusion, and peace. Ms. Mohammed also stressed the need to prepare young people for a rapidly changing digital future, while addressing both the opportunities and risks of new technologies, and reaffirmed the importance of safe, inclusive learning environments, particularly in contexts of conflict and crisis.                                                                                                                            The Deputy Secretary-General met with the newly appointed Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Khaled El-Enany. They discussed strengthened collaboration between the United Nations and UNESCO, as well as priority actions for the post-2030 education agenda, with youth at the center.  

She also met with the Chair of the UNESCO Executive Board and a group of Member States. Discussions focused on UNESCO priorities and the UN80 process, including the role of UNESCO within broader United Nations system-wide reform efforts. 

She is expected to return to New York this weekend. 

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF EDUCATION 

Tomorrow is the International Day of Education. In his message, the Secretary-General stresses that education is a human right and a foundation for opportunity, dignity and peace. Yet 272 million children and young people worldwide remain out of school due to poverty, conflict, displacement, discrimination and disasters. He calls on governments, partners and donors to make education a priority in policies, budgets and recovery efforts. 

SECURITY COUNCIL 

This morning, the Security Council held a briefing on Colombia. Miroslav Jenča, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Colombia and Head of the UN Verification Mission in the country said that over the past three months, he has met with key counterparts on the implementation of the Peace Agreement at the national level and around Colombia.  

Mr. Jenča noted that although violence is far lower today than at the height of the armed conflict, the presence of armed groups in areas still affected by conflict continues to inflict suffering on entire communities. He said that the consequences for the civilian population are grave, as detailed again in the latest report of the Secretary-General: threats and killings of social leaders, forced displacement and confinement, and an alarming increase in the recruitment and use of children by armed groups. He added that border areas are particularly complex.  

Mr. Jenča echoed the Secretary-General’s call for all involved to intensify their efforts towards the full implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement. He highlighted that at a time of tensions, both globally and regionally, it is in everyone’s interest to secure lasting peace and security in Colombia.  

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY 

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that hundreds of thousands of people are staying in displacement sites and exposed to cold and rainy winter conditions.UN partners dealing with site management assess that hundreds of households have had their tents damaged by the strong winds this week, and partners are coordinating emergency repairs, while stressing that more sustainable solutions are required.   

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported yesterday that about 5,000 recreational kits with toys and stationary items had entered Gaza since last Thursday for the first time since 2023. These supplies will help more than 375,000 children, including 1,000 girls and boys with disabilities.  

For over two years, many children have been trying to learn without basic supplies – no notebooks, no pencils, no erasers, no crayons. The UN continues to call for the further lifting of restrictions on items that the UN and its partners are allowed to bring into Gaza.   

Turning to the West Bank, you might recall that on Monday, an estimated 25,000 Palestinians were placed under curfew in parts of the Israeli-controlled area in Hebron city, disrupting their access to food, health care and in-person education.  

Today, OCHA reports that the Israeli forces’ operation in Hebron has ended. The UN and our partners have stayed in touch with affected families throughout the operation, and we will now conduct assessments to identify any assistance required. 

LEBANON 

In southern Lebanon, peacekeepers of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continue to discover unauthorized weapons caches and unexploded ordnance. Yesterday, UNIFIL patrols discovered two separate unauthorized weapons and ammunition caches, including 19 mortar shells, a launch tube and hand grenades in Sector West, and four mortar shells and ammunition boxes in Sector East. As per standard practice, the items were referred to the Lebanese Army for disposal.  

Peacekeepers also continue to report daily Israel Defense Forces ground and air activities in the area of operations. We reiterate that both parties must fully respect the Blue Line and take steps towards the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701.  

And as part of our efforts to support stability along the Blue Line, UNIFIL peacekeepers have been refurbishing Blue Line markers damaged during the 2023–2024 conflict. Since October 2025, 11 such markers have been restored. Work is under way to refurbish four additional markers next week. 

And UNIFIL this week launched an explosive ordnance risk education campaign, in support of potentially vulnerable groups, including children and displaced people. Working in coordination with the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the Lebanese Mine Action Centre (LMAC) and non-governmental organizations, UNIFIL peacekeepers will raise awareness among hundreds of children, young people and internally displaced people across 17 southern Lebanese towns and villages. About 100 children participated in the campaign’s kick-off session earlier this week in Bint Jbeil, which also included a simulated disposal exercise conducted by a UNIFIL explosive ordnance disposal team. 

SYRIA 

Today, in Syria, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) was able to access Al Hol camp together with Syrian Government officials. UNHCR was also able to establish contact with some camp residents. Essential supplies have also resumed. Trucks carrying bread entered the camp today, facilitated by UNHCR, following a three-day interruption caused by the volatile security situation inside the camp. 

In addition, water trucking services organized by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and facilitated by UNHCR were delivered yesterday, helping to partially restore access to basic services for the camp population. 

Yesterday, an inter‑agency mission led by UNHCR, with participation from UNICEF, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Food Programme (WFP), Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and non-governmental organizations reached the Government compound at the entrance of Al-Hol camp and accessed key facilities located outside the camp perimeter to support the resumption of water services.   Entry into the camp was not possible due to the security situation.  

UN Agencies and partners reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the Government in delivering humanitarian assistance, while emphasizing the critical need to ensure security inside the camp. They also highlighted the importance of facilitating the movement of personnel and supplies between Al‑Hassakeh and Qamishli. 

SYRIA/KOBANI 

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that UNpartners operating in the city of Kobani are concerned about the risk of the humanitarian situation getting worse there. All roads connecting to Kobani are currently closed. 

Interruptions to the power supply, water and Internet are hampering people’s access to basic services. UNpartners have started to report shortages of food and other key items. Health facilities are operating, but there have been reports of shortages of medicine. 

The UN team is in discussion with authorities in Aleppo on how we can support them. 

Meanwhile, the UN and its partners continue to provide humanitarian aid following recent clashes in the governorates of Aleppo, Raqqa, Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor. The World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners are providing medical supplies, mobile nutrition services, and care for injured, children and pregnant women. 

The UN is also engaging with its partners and authorities to carry out more assessments and facilitate access. 

AFGHANISTAN 

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs today said that extreme winter weather across several regions in Afghanistan has resulted in at least 16 deaths and dozens of injuries, most of them among children. Heavy rain and snowfall triggered a deadly rockslide in Nuristan Province, while other areas have seen the weather collapse roofs and trigger traffic accidents. 

OCHA notes that Afghanistan remains one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world, with nearly 22 million people – or more than two out every five people – in need of assistance. This year’s Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan calls for $1.7 billion to support 17.5 million people. 

IRAN 

Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, briefed the Human Rights Council today on Iran, telling them that thousands of people, including children, were killed during a security crackdown that intensified on 8 January, with the use of live ammunition by the security forces against demonstrators.  

He said that peaceful protestors were reportedly killed in the streets and in residential areas, including universities and medical facilities. Video evidence appears to show hundreds of bodies in morgues, with fatal injuries to the head and chest, he said. 

The High Commissioner called on the Iranian authorities to end their brutal repression, including summary trials and disproportionate sentences. He called for the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained by the Iranian authorities and for a complete moratorium on the death penalty. 

He also urged the government to end the internet and communications shutdown, and to stop using this as a systematic practice. 

MOZAMBIQUE 

In Mozambique today, the UN and its humanitarian partners launched a $187 million appeal following the widespread flooding in the south and centre of the country. This appeal, which is an addendum to the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, aims to support some 600,000 people through the end of June. 

The UN continues to scale up its support for the Government-led response, despite access and funding constraints. A UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team has been deployed, with the first members arriving today. The team will work closely with authorities and our partners to work on coordination, analysis and operations, and will be based in the provinces of Gaza and Maputo. 

On the logistics side, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that UN partners are working with the Government on transportation plans, storage capacity and the review of access routes, including maritime, river and helicopter options. The World Food Programme (WFP) is setting up a mobile warehouse in Xai Xai, the capital of Gaza province. 

The UN is also continuing to distribute emergency aid, including tarpaulins and blankets. UN partners have set up two child-friendly spaces offering family tracing, reunification and psychosocial support. Emergency health and nutrition supplies have been pre-positioned in Gaza and Maputo provinces to support more than 20,000 people for up to three months. 

Mobile nutrition centers have been deployed to carry out screening, treatment and micronutrient supplementation. In addition, antibiotics, nutrition supplements and other critical supplies to treat hundreds of children have been mobilized.

NIGERIA

The UN and its partners, together with the Government of Nigeria, yesterday launched a $516 million Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan to help 2.5 million people in the north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. Widespread displacement, limited basic services, climate shocks, economic hardship and shrinking livelihood opportunities are driving humanitarian needs higher in that area. Women and children are particularly affected, making up 8 out of 10 people in immediate need. 

The World Food Programme (WFP) is sounding the alarm that more than one million people in north-east Nigeria risk being cut off from emergency food and nutrition assistance within weeks unless urgent new funding is received. 

NOON BRIEFING GUESTS 

On Monday, the noon briefing will be UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban and WFP’s Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau. Ted will be here in person and Carl will join us virtually. They will brief you on their recent joint mission to Gaza and the West Bank.   

HONOUR ROLL 

Azerbaijan paid its full dues to the Regular Budget. This brings the number of Member States on the Honour Roll to 24.