Noon briefing of 9 February 2026

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,

SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES

MONDAY, 9 FEBRUARY 2026

WEST BANK

The Secretary-General is gravely concerned by the reported decision of the Israeli security cabinet to authorize a series of administrative and enforcement measures in Areas A and B of the occupied West Bank. He warns that the current trajectory on the ground, including this decision, is eroding the prospect for the two-State solution.

He reiterates that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and their associated regime and infrastructure, have no legal validity and are in flagrant violation of international law, including​ relevant United Nations resolutions.

Such actions, including Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are not only destabilizing but – as recalled by the International Court of Justice – unlawful.

The Secretary-General calls on Israel to reverse these measures and on all parties to preserve the only path to lasting peace, a negotiated two-State solution, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions and international law.

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY 

Turning to Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says the UN and partners continue serving hundreds of thousands of meals every day, as well as digital cash and monthly rations, despite persistent impediments.  

Also last week, food security partners completed the distribution of animal feed to more than 2,000 herders and farmers over nine days.  

Meanwhile, our colleagues leading on water, hygiene and sanitation say that Gaza city continues to face a severe shortage of drinking and domestic water. This is despite a recent reopening of the valve on the Gaza city Mekorot supply line from Israel. Only 6,000 cubic metres are reaching people in the city every day, with significant water losses in hard-to-reach areas. To mitigate this shortfall, the UN and our partners have increased water production and trucked deliveries from groundwater wells and private sector desalination plants.                   

Since late last month, our partners have distributed over 100,000 water jerry cans, over 700,000 bars of soap, over 25,000 hygiene kits, over 400 household latrines, and 250 anti-lice kits across Gaza.  

Mine action partners say that, over a week and by last Wednesday, they had conducted over 200 assessments of potential explosive hazards in support of debris removal. That’s in addition to support they provide to secure humanitarian movements and operations. Last week, they also reached over 10,000 children and adults with explosive ordnance risk education. They note this remains a major risk as 33 explosive ordnance incidents have been reported since the ceasefire came into force in October 2025, resulting in nine deaths and 65 injuries.  

OCHA adds that restrictions, including limitations on the entry of items listed as “dual use” or non-humanitarian continue to hamper the humanitarian response.                  

Such items include spare parts and certain shelter materials. Also undermining humanitarian operations is the de-registration of some international NGOs and restrictions imposed on UNRWA and other UN agencies.  

SYRIA 

OCHA says that fighting has subsided in Aleppo, Al-Hasakeh and Raqqa following the agreement announced on January 30th. As of February 3rd, nearly 160,000 people are still displaced. 

While there has been some improvement in humanitarian access, there are still major challenges. Electricity outages continue to disrupt water systems, telecommunications are intermittent, food supply chains are constrained, and schools are still suspended in many areas. 

Between 25 January and 5 February, our partners facilitated ten inter-agency convoys to Qamishli and Ain al-Arab/Kobani, delivering 154 trucks of life-saving assistance. In total, our partners have reached more than 190,000 people across 83 communities with food, medicine, fuel, winter items and other essential support. 

Meanwhile, heavy rainfall between Saturday and today has caused severe flooding across parts of Idleb and northern Latakia, affecting more than 5,000 displaced people. Some 1,800 tents were partially damaged and 150 destroyed. Flooding also forced the closure of a local hospital, with patients evacuated and mobile medical teams deployed. Authorities have opened collective shelters and prepared additional housing for families who need it. Our partners are relocating families, repairing shelters and delivering assistance. 

YEMEN 

The Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, welcomes the formation of the new government led by Prime Minister Shaya Al-Zindani. This development comes at a critical time, as renewed efforts are needed to advance an inclusive, Yemeni-led political process to address the country’s political, economic and security challenges.  

Mr. Grundberg also welcomed the return of women to the cabinet, highlighting the importance of creating a constructive environment that enables the cabinet to carry out its work, helping to stabilize the situation and alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people.  

The Special Envoy will continue engaging with Yemeni and regional stakeholders to support efforts aimed at advancing dialogue and de-escalation.    

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 

The head of our Peace Operations Department, Jean‑Pierre Lacroix, is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo this week. He arrived in the country yesterday and will be there until 11 February. 

He is in Kinshasa today to meet with the President, Félix Tshisekedi, the Prime Minister, Judith Suminwa Tuluka, key members of the Government, and relevant stakeholders to discuss the UN Peacekeeping mission’s mandate implementation, including support to a permanent ceasefire.  
 
Mr. Lacroix will then visit Beni, in North Kivu, where he will assess recent developments and meet with provincial authorities as well as peacekeepers deployed in the area. 
[optional] Later this week, Mr. Lacroix will head to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the annual African Union summit.] 

And also on the DRC, I wanted to flag that South Africa has informed us that they will be withdrawing their remaining contingents and troops from the peacekeeping mission.  

We join our colleagues at the mission to express deep gratitude to the Government and people of South Africa for their steadfast commitment to UN peacekeeping over several decades, as well as for the dedication demonstrated by South African peacekeepers in support of the Mission’s mandate.  

We also pay tribute to South African peacekeepers who lost their lives in the service of the people of the DRC, and we honor their sacrifice.  

The mission will work closely with the Secretariat and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the transition is managed in a safe, orderly, and responsible manner, in line with United Nations standards and operational requirements.  

WESTERN SAHARA 

Senior delegations from the United Nations, including the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, Staffan de Mistura, and the United States have facilitated discussions in Madrid, Spain, with representatives of Morocco, the Frente POLISARIO, Algeria and Mauritania regarding the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2797 (2025) on Western Sahara.  

SOUTH SUDAN 

UN peacekeepers in South Sudan visited Duk Padiet, north of Bor, the capital of Jonglei state over the weekend. It is the first time they have been able to reach the area since the conflict began, due to persistent access denials. The peacekeepers established a temporary base for several days to enable sustained engagement with local authorities and communities. During their time on the ground, UNMISS personnel assessed the security situation, human rights conditions, and reports of conflict-related sexual violence, while also monitoring humanitarian access.  

Over the weekend, we issued a statement in which the Secretary-General strongly condemned the escalating violence in South Sudan.  

Nearly 10 million people, that’s more than two thirds of the population, are in urgent need of life-saving humanitarian assistance and continue to bear the brunt of the conflict.  

The Secretary-General urges all parties to halt military actions, de-escalate tensions, uphold international law, protect civilians, and ensure safe and sustained humanitarian access for aid workers and UN personnel and their assets. 

SUDAN 

Moving to Sudan, we are deeply concerned by continued attacks on civilians and medical facilities, further devastating an already fragile health system. 

Our humanitarian partners reported on Friday that drone strikes near the border between Sudan and Chad caused multiple casualties among civilians. Six people were reported to have been killed during the attacks, with four more later dying from their injuries in hospital. Medical teams report that the facility is operating under extreme strain, with limited capacity to treat critically wounded patients amid a steady flow of severe trauma cases. 

In South Kordofan, the World Health Organization reported that three health facilities in the state were struck last week alone. These attacks reportedly killed at least 31 people, including children, women and four health workers, and injured many others, in a region already facing severe shortages of health care.           

Attacks on health services are unacceptable and have life-threatening consequences for people in need of care. 

Meanwhile, many continue to flee their homes in the Kordofan region. According to the International Organization for Migration, around 750 people were newly displaced from the city of Dilling in South Kordofan on Friday and Saturday. 

While people are increasingly returning to their communities in other parts of Sudan, with some 3.5 million people having returned so far, more than 9 million people remain displaced within Sudan. 

OCHA once again calls for more funding, as well as rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access, so life-saving assistance can reach the millions of people in need across Sudan.       

MADAGASCAR 

From Madagascar, our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that another cyclone is expected to make landfall tomorrow. Ahead of this storm, $3 million has been released from the Central Emergency Response Fund to pre-position staff and supplies and prepare before landfall. 

The funds will go towards the International Organization for Migration, UNICEF, the UN Population Fund, the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization. 

This comes as Madagascar continues to recover from the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Fytia, which made landfall on January 31st. That storm impacted more than 200,000 people across the country’s north-west and at least 12 deaths have been reported.                

We are calling for $11 million to reach more than 90,000 people impacted by that storm. The Government, with support from OCHA and humanitarian partners, is providing food, cash and nutrition assistance. 

HAITI 

From Haiti, our humanitarian colleagues are deeply alarmed at the surge in gender-based violence over the past year. 

In 2025, there were reports of 8,000 cases, a 25 per cent rise from 2024. Due to underreporting, this number reflects only a fraction of the actual number of cases. 

Survivors also report that incidents frequently occur in overcrowded displacement sites. 

Access to emergency care remains extremely limited. Only 30 per cent of survivors were able to receive assistance within 72 hours of an assault, increasing the risk of sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies. Underfunding means survivors can’t access legal assistance, child protection services and safe shelter. 

This year, we and our partners are seeking $24 million to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, targeting 1.5 million people with medical, psychological and other forms of support. 

CUBA 

Turning to Cuba, the UN continues to monitor the situation in the country and is working with the Government to provide more support, including food, water and sanitation, and healthcare. 

We are concerned about the growing fuel shortages and their impact on people. This includes disruptions to the delivery of clean water, medical care, food and other critical aid in parts of Cuba hit hard by Hurricane Melissa last October. Our humanitarian colleagues note that there are also concerns that the fuel scarcity could have implications on the operation of airports. 

As you may recall, last November, our team in Cuba launched a Plan of Action to support the national response in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, which impacted more than 2 million people, which is the equivalent to one in every five people in the country.               

We remain committed to supporting recovery efforts led by the authorities and to helping families recover. 

The Plan of Action, which seeks $74 million, is currently only 23 per cent funded. We urgently call for more funding to ensure aid reaches all who need it. 

UKRAINE 

Turning to Ukraine, our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that between February 6th and this morning several civilians were killed and injured across the country, including children and many older people. This is according to local authorities. The front-line regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia in the east and south of the country were particularly impacted.  

Authorities and partners on the ground also report that on February 7th a large-scale attack damaged two power plants and critical transmission lines in the Ivano-Frankivsk, Rivne and Vinnytsia regions, further worsening the already dire energy and heating situation. 

National and international non-governmental organizations, with the support of UN agencies, are mobilized and delivering construction materials, helping to cover or replace the shattered windows and providing cash assistance.   

CYPRUS

I was also asked over the weekend about the Secretary-General’s meetings on Cyprus. I can tell you that the Secretary-General will meet with Mr. Tufan Erhürman on 11 February here at UNHQ.

The meeting will be an opportunity to meet the new leader of the Turkish Cypriot community for the first time and of course to discuss the Cyprus issue.

The Secretary-General will also have the opportunity to speak with the leader of the Greek Cypriot community, Mr. Christodoulides, in due course.

HONOUR ROLL 

Viet Nam, Brunei, Ghana and Monaco paid their dues in full to the Regular Budget. This bring the number of Member States on the Honour Roll to 55.