Noon briefing of 30 January 2026

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES

FRIDAY, 30 JANUARY 2026

MYANMAR 

Five years since the military seized power and arbitrarily detained members of the democratically-elected Government, the suffering of the people of Myanmar has deepened. The cycle of impunity persists, with widespread violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.          

The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned by the rapidly deteriorating situation in Myanmar and its serious regional ramifications, including rising transnational crime, mass displacement – nearly 5.2 million people, internally and across borders – acute food insecurity, economic volatility and escalating violence, particularly the ongoing airstrikes by the military hitting civilian populations and infrastructure.  

The Secretary-General strongly condemns all forms of violence and urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint, uphold international human rights law and international humanitarian law and enable safe, sustained and unimpeded access for the United Nations and its partners to deliver humanitarian assistance and essential services to all those in need.   

The Secretary-General continues to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their democratic aspirations for an inclusive, peaceful and just society and reiterates the need to ensure the protection of all communities, including the Rohingya.     

A viable path back to civilian rule must be founded on an immediate cessation of violence and a genuine commitment to inclusive dialogue with the full participation of civil society, including women, youth, ethnic and minority communities.   The Secretary-General urges Myanmar stakeholders and international actors to ensure an environment that allows the people of Myanmar to freely and peacefully exercise their political rights and reiterates his call for the swift release of all those arbitrarily detained, including President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.   

Regional and international unity and sustained engagement are needed to support a Myanmar-led solution to the crisis that fully addresses the root causes of conflict, ensures accountability and responds to immediate humanitarian and development needs.   

The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar, Julie Bishop, continues to engage with all stakeholders, in close cooperation with ASEAN and other regional partners, in the search for common ground that can provide a foundation for a durable resolution and sustainable peace in Myanmar.   

SECRETARY-GENERAL/COLOMBIA 

The Secretary-General said that he is saddened by the plane crash in northeast Colombia which happened on 28 January, which claimed the lives of 15 people. The Secretary-General extended his condolences to the families of the victims, who include a member of Colombia’s Congress representing a “peace district”, a congressional candidate from the same region and two humanitarian workers.  He also expressed his solidarity with the people and Government of Colombia. 

COLOMBIA/HUMANITARIAN 

Also on Colombia, our colleagues from Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tell us that the humanitarian situation is deteriorating across several regions as clashes between non‑state armed groups intensify in the country. Our humanitarian colleagues note that civilians in the states of Cauca, Nariño, Guaviare, Arauca, Chocó and Norte de Santander are increasingly facing killings, kidnappings and restrictions to their movement.  

In Catatumbo, near the border with Venezuela, clashes in the first half of this month between non‑state armed groups have claimed the lives of more than 60 civilians. Thousands of people have been displaced or confined in their homes, cutting off their access to services and humanitarian assistance. 

Our humanitarian colleagues are deeply concerned by repeated attacks on medical services in Cauca, Valle del Cauca and Norte de Santander, which have left communities without essential care. 

Climate‑related emergencies are also increasing humanitarian needs. Heavy rains have triggered landslides and flooding in some states. In rural Buenaventura, in the Pacific region, floods have left more than 15,000 indigenous peoples in need of shelter, clean water, health support and food. 

We, along with our humanitarian partners, continue to engage with authorities to support the humanitarian response, improve access to aid and strengthen preparedness. 

Even after prioritising the most severe needs and what can realistically be delivered, the Humanitarian Response Plan remains critically underfunded. Last year, we received just a quarter of the $342 million dollars required. This year, we’re asking for $384 million to reach 2.6 million of the 6.9 million people who need aid. 

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY 

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that families in Gaza continue to face harsh Winter conditions. On Tuesday, another child reportedly died from hypothermia. This is the eleventh child who has died this way since the beginning of the winter season, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.     

Since October, the UN and our partners have distributed tens of thousands of tents, providing shelter to over half a million people. However, tents provide limited protection, especially during the rainy season. We continue calling for more durable shelter solutions to limit people’s dependency on tents.  

Meanwhile, while prices for most food items are currently 38 to 96 per cent lower than prices in the first week of October 2025, before the ceasefire, most prices remain higher than before the October 2023 escalation, some items more than 230 per cent. Even with the improved availability of goods since the ceasefire, unemployment in Gaza stands at over 80 per cent, and households lack purchasing power to buy many of these items. This is according to the World Food Programme’s latest Market Monitor on Gaza.  

In the absence of predictable and affordable access to fuel, more than half the population is still resorting to using waste as fuel for cooking, which exacerbates health and protection risks, in addition to environmental hazards.   

Even with the improvements in food consumption this month, humanitarians stress that the entry of aid and commercial supplies must be sustained and further diversified.                 

To address malnutrition, humanitarians have expanded services through dozens of facilities established since the ceasefire. More than 190 centres are currently distributing infant formula, providing blanket feeding, and other critical support to children.   

In the West Bank, the UN Relief and Works Agency said in a social media post yesterday that in the past few days, electricity and water have been cut off in schools and health centres in East Jerusalem that provide critical services to thousands of people.   

We reiterate that restrictions on humanitarian operations must be lifted. This includes ending the ongoing ban on UNRWA, which continues to serve communities despite operating under severe constraints. It also includes lifting registration requirements imposed on NGOs. All of our humanitarian partners should be allowed to bring in supplies and operate without hindrance across the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.  

UNIFIL 

UNIFIL peacekeepers in southern Lebanon continue to discover unexploded ordnance in their area of operations. Yesterday, a UNIFIL patrol found four unexploded ordnance, including a rocket launcher tube, projectile warheads and an illuminating artillery shell in Sector East. As per usual practice, these were referred to the Lebanese Armed Forces for disposal.  

In support of the Lebanese Armed Forces, peacekeepers conducted four-day coordinated activities with Lebanese Army personnel to enhance operational readiness and improve joint operational capabilities, including foot and vehicle patrols, checkpoints, and the use of individual and tactical vehicle equipment.  

Israel Defense Forces ground and air activities in the Mission's area of operations continue. In the past three days, UNIFIL peacekeepers observed 18 Israel Defense Forces activities north of the Blue Line, involving hundreds of IDF vehicles and personnel. We reiterate that both parties must fully respect the Blue Line and fulfill their obligations under Security Council resolution 1701. 

SUDAN 

From Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that the situation in the State of South Kordofan is deteriorating rapidly, with civilians facing escalating violence, continued displacement and a near-total collapse of basic services. 

This week, the security situation in the city of Dilling worsened significantly, with intense artillery shelling and drone strikes reported across multiple neighbourhoods. Local sources indicate that dozens of civilians have been killed, but telecommunications’ disruptions are preventing the verification of casualty figures. 

While nearly half of Dilling’s population, some 117,000 people, is estimated to have been displaced, many others remain trapped inside the city, cut off from assistance. Basic services are on the brink of collapse: food is largely unavailable in markets, livelihoods are severely restricted, and most health facilities have exhausted their medical supplies. 

The situation in the state capital, Kadugli, remains equally alarming, with more than 80 per cent of the population, some 147,000 people, believed to have fled to other parts of South Kordofan and beyond. 

An OCHA team visiting the locality of Abu Jubaiha this week reported that thousands of people are still arriving from cities of Dilling and Kadugli, with 250 to 300 people arriving daily. Some people reported being on the move for several weeks in search of safety, with deaths occurring along the way. 

Overall, more than 88,000 people have been displaced across the Kordofan region since late October, as fighting continues to drive civilians from their homes. 

Our partners continue to operate in Dilling where possible, but severe insecurity, supply shortages and access constraints are affecting operations. As we have previously noted an interagency convoy with supplies intended for Dilling and Kadugli remains in El Obeid in neighbouring North Kordofan and has been unable to proceed due to the security situation. 

We continue to urge an immediate cessation of attacks on civilians and civilian objects, and call for rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access to reach people in need. 

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the country, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that between late October and mid-January, more than 127,000 people were displaced from El Fasher, the state capital of North Darfur State, due to heightened insecurity. 

The majority remain within North Darfur, while others have sought refuge across several states, further straining already overstretched services. 

With needs rising sharply across several regions, OCHA once again calls on donors to step up urgent support. In 2026, we and our partners require $2.9 billion to reach more than 20 million people in need across Sudan. 

YEMEN 

Turning to Yemen. Following the entry by the Houthi de facto authorities yesterday into at least six UN offices in Sana’a, all of which are currently unstaffed, and the removal of most telecommunications’ equipment from these offices, as well as several UN vehicles to an unknown location, Julien Harneis, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, said he regrets that these actions were taken unilaterally and without discussion with the United Nations, thereby eliminating any opportunity to reach mutually-acceptable arrangements for the delivery of assistance. The De Facto authorities did not inform the UN of the reasons for doing so. 

Furthermore, the Houthi de facto authorities have not authorized the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) to operate flights to Sana’a for more than one month, nor to Marib for more than four months, further exacerbating the humanitarian situation, particularly in areas under their control. These restrictions come at a time when, after more than 11 years of conflict, Yemen’s economy and public services remain severely strained, leaving 19.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and more than 4.8 million internally displaced. 

We recall Security Council resolutions 2801 and 2813, which call upon the Houthis to enable a safe and secure operating environment, including through the immediate and unconditional release of all detained personnel from the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and diplomatic missions.  

MOZAMBIQUE  

The UN Refugee Agency today noted that recurrent climate shocks are again driving mass displacement across Mozambique. According to UNHCR, the latest floods have displaced around 392,000 people, adding pressure to a country grappling with conflict in the north, which displaced more than 300,000 people in the last quarter of 2025 alone.  

UNHCR said that an estimated 100,000 people are now sheltering in around 100 temporary accommodation centres, including schools and public buildings. Overcrowding in these centres is severe, heightening protection risks.  

With partners, the UN Refugee Agency is supporting the Government to provide much-needed assistance, particularly in Gaza Province. Mobile protection teams are identifying and addressing the most critical risks among the most exposed.  

WORLD INTERFAITH HARMONY WEEK 

Sunday marks the start of World Interfaith Harmony Week, a time to emphasize that mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue are essential to building a culture of peace. The week was established to promote harmony among all people, regardless of their faith. 

HONOUR ROLL  

We would like to say thank you to our friends in Manila, Seoul, Castries, Stockholm and Saint John’s for their full payment to the Regular Budget.  The payments from the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Saint Lucia, Sweden and Antigua and Barbuda bring the number of Member States on the Honour Roll to 36. 

 **Guest 

Noon briefing guest is Anita Kiki Gbeho, the Deputy Special Representative in the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and Resident Coordinator in South Sudan.