Noon briefing of 19 December 2025

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC

SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES

FRIDAY, 19 DECEMBER 2025

YEMEN 

The Secretary-General strongly condemns the arbitrary detention on 18 December of a further 10 United Nations personnel by the Houthi de facto authorities, bringing the total number of detained UN staff to 69. 

These detentions render the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Houthi-controlled areas untenable. This directly affects millions of people in need and limits their access to life-saving assistance. 

The Secretary-General calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained personnel from the United Nations, but also from non-governmental, from civil society and from diplomatic missions. Mr. Guterres calls on the Houthis to rescind the referral of UN personnel for prosecution. He further calls for the respect of international law, including the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and its personnel, which are essential to enabling humanitarian action in a secure and principled environment.

The Secretary-General and the UN will continue our sustained efforts with Member States and with the Security Council, as well as through direct engagement with the Houthis, to secure the release of all detained UN colleagues. Mr. Guterres stands in solidarity with the affected families of those detained and the communities in Yemen. 

 SUDAN/KADUGLI 

A few days ago, we paid tribute to six UN peacekeepers who were killed on Saturday in a drone attack on their camp in Kadugli, in South Kordofan. They were part of UNISFA, the UN peacekeeping force for Abiyei. Their remains today departed the UN logistics base in Entebbe [Uganda] for their home country, Bangladesh. And I can now share their names and ages : The six were 37-year-old Corporal Muhammed Masud Rana, Private Muhammed Sabuj Mia, aged 29, Private Muhammed Jahangir Alam, also aged 29, Private Santo Mondol, who was 26 years old, Private Shamin Reza, who was 28 years old, and Private Muhammed Mominul Islam who was 35 years old. 

We once again send our deepest condolences to their families, to their colleagues, to the government and people of Bangladesh. 

We also reiterate that attacks against UN peacekeepers are not only unacceptable but they may constitute a war crime, accountability in this case and all other cases must prevail. 

Meanwhile, we can also confirm that eight of the nine injured peacekeepers in Saturday’s attack are receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Nairobi, in Kenya, where they are recovering. One peacekeeper has been discharged from the Mission’s own medical facility in Abyei after receiving needed treatment. 

SOUTH SUDAN 

Now turning to South Sudan. We are deeply shocked and we condemn the killing of a staff member from the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.  Mr. Bol Rhoch Mayol Kuot was detained by security personnel from South Sudan on 15 December, and he had been detained since 15 December. The Mission was actively engaging authorities to locate him and secure his safe release. We mourn his loss and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, loved ones, and colleagues. 

The killing of United Nations personnel is, of course, unacceptable, and we call for an immediate, thorough, and transparent investigation to ensure that those responsible can be held to account. 

BANGLADESH  

In response to questions about the current situation in Bangladesh, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General condemns the killing of a youth protest leader, Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, and extends his condolences to his family.   

He calls on the authorities to conduct a prompt, an impartial, a thorough and transparent investigation, in line with international human rights standards. 

The Secretary-General calls for calm and urges all concerned to refrain from violence, reduce tensions and exercise maximum restraint in order to preserve a peaceful electoral environment as the country heads to elections in February. 

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY 

The Secretary-General spoke to journalists this morning on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. He spoke about the latest report from the IPC on food security in Gaza. He was pleased to share that famine has been pushed back in Gaza, with far more families able to access food. But he did point out that these gains remain very fragile. 

1.6 million people in Gaza, that is more than 75 per cent of the population, are still projected to face extreme levels of acute food insecurity and critical malnutrition. The brutal Winter storms are worsening these numbers, with vital infrastructure from hospitals, to bakeries, to water and sanitation services all struggling to operate. 

In the midst of this, we continue our work. We have prepared more than 1.5 million hot meals every day, we have supported bakeries, we supported the rehabilitation of hospitals, we vaccinated children, we have cleared rubble and restored water lines, as well as providing tents, blankets and clothing.       

But need is growing faster than aid can get in, and the Secretary-General reiterated that the only lasting solution is a durable ceasefire. 

He drew attention to the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion of 22 October 2025, which made clear Israel is under the obligation to allow and facilitate humanitarian aid, and cooperate with the United Nations in carrying out our mandates, and to respect the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and its personnel. 

He also reiterated his support for UNRWA, which plays an indispensable role in serving the Palestinian people, in Gaza, the West Bank, and across the region.  

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY/ HUMANITARIAN 

The latest IPC report says that  about 1.6 million people are still expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity through mid-April of next year.  That includes about 1,900 people in Gaza who would face catastrophic hunger; that's what we call IPC Phase 5, the highest level. More than 570,000 people who would face emergency levels; that is Phase 4.    

The report projects that through mid-October of next year, more than 100,000 children under 5, as well as 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women, will need treatment for acute malnutrition.    

The IPC said that no child meets the minimum dietary diversity standard, and two thirds of children are suffering from severe food poverty.                                                                                 

The onset of winter and related diseases, combined with poor sanitation and hygiene conditions and limited access to safe and diverse foods, only increase vulnerability to malnutrition.  

Meanwhile, the UN Development Programme said today that since the onset of the ceasefire, it has collected the equivalent of 8,000 truckloads of rubble, mostly raw concrete. The debris is removed, crushed and re-used, including to pave roads and to build barriers to manage rainwater.   

LEBANON/ISRAEL

Today, UNIFIL handed over to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) a cleared minefield near the Blue Line in Blida, southeastern Lebanon. This marks the first handover of a cleared minefield since last year’s hostilities. The demining work – clearing explosives spread across nearly 2,000 square metres – commenced on 12 August and was completed early this month. During the process, UNIFIL deminers found 393 mines, which were destroyed on-site in coordination with the LAF. UNIFIL is planning to hand over additional cleared minefields in the near future.

UNIFIL peacekeepers also continued to discover unauthorized weapons caches, including a Multiple Launch Rocket System and 23 sealed cases of 122mm rockets in Tayr Harfa. An anti-personnel mine was also discovered in a tunnel structure southeast of Bayt Lif. Peacekeepers also found numerous unexploded ordnances and explosive remnants of war. These discoveries were all referred to the Lebanese Armed Forces.

UNIFIL peacekeepers were also subjected to aggressive behavior. Yesterday, the IDF fired about 20 rounds of small arms fire in the direction of a combined UNIFIL-Lebanese Army patrol in the village of Kfar Shouba. Thankfully there were no injuries or damage. Separately, the IDF fired smoke towards UNIFIL vehicles moving in Markaba. We reiterate that any intimidation or interference in the Mission’s Security Council-mandated tasks must stop. 

UKRAINE 

Turning to the situation in Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says a new wave of attacks has severely disrupted critical services across the country, aggravating humanitarian needs amid harsh Winter conditions. Between yesterday and early this morning, authorities reported several fatalities, with more than 30 injured nationwide.   

In the region of Odesa, a bridge and a railway station were struck. One woman was reportedly killed, while her three children, and several other civilians were injured. Also in Odesa, attacks on energy infrastructure have left some 270,000 customers without water. Approximately 85,000 customers are without heating, while 75,000 have no electricity at all. According to Ukraine’s Energy Ministry, energy facilities in six other regions were also damaged. 

Humanitarians deployed emergency teams to provide first aid to those affected by the recent attacks. They continue to support people impacted by hostilities and the disruption of basic services across the country. As of October this year, humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations, reached 4.4 million people with assistance. Today, a humanitarian convoy delivered seven metric tonnes of medicines, hygiene supplies and other essentials to a front-line community in the region of Kherson. In 2025, we and our partners despatched 29 humanitarian convoys to the region, reaching more than 30,000 residents.

LIBYA 

Turning to the Security Council. This morning, Hanna Tetteh, our Special Representative for Libya, briefed Council members and said that on 14 and 15 December, the UN Mission in Libya, UNSMIL, launched the inaugural meeting of the Structured Dialogue, which is part of the Roadmap for Libya’s political transition. This is the first process of this magnitude to be held on Libyan soil. She said the participants to the Dialogue showed a positive and constructive spirit. 

Ms. Tetteh told the Council that, following the agreement on new security arrangements in Tripoli, the security environment in the capital has now stabilized to a certain extent. The truce continues to hold, she added, saying that the situation in Tripoli and western Libya remains fragile, with sporadic outbreaks of armed clashes in areas in southern Tripoli and elsewhere. 

She said the path to Libya’s elections remains fraught with complications that are challenging, but can be overcome. She calls on all Libyan leaders to respond to the demands of their people and rise above their differences in the interests of the unity and integrity of the Libyan state and to advance the welfare of the Libyan people. 

SAHEL AND WEST AFRICA 

Yesterday, I just want to flag for the record, our Deputy Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Ms. Barrie Freeman, briefed the Security Council on the latest report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS). 

She noted that the Sahel remains the global epicenter of violent extremism, and underscored the continued expansion of terrorist groups across the central Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin.   

The erosion of democratic norms and standards in the region is also a concern, in particular reports of unlawful detentions, reports of torture and reports of enforced disappearances in some countries. On the recent developments in Guinea-Bissau, she called for Council members to support ECOWAS efforts to restore constitutional order... and more broadly protect the region’s democratic gains.                                      

She also noted that UNOWAS remains a trusted convener and a facilitator, supporting States across the region to promote peace and stability, and urged member states to support the ongoing efforts to operationalize the ECOWAS regional counter-terrorism force. 

BURUNDI/DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 

The UN Refugee Agency said today they are deeply alarmed by the worsening humanitarian situation in Burundi.  

Over 84,000 human beings have crossed into Burundi from South Kivu since earlier this month. This has increased the total number of Congolese refugees and asylum-seekers in Burundi to more than 200,000. 

Local resources, as you can imagine, have been overwhelmed. Transit centres and informal sites, where new arrivals are hosted, have far surpassed capacity, in some cases by nearly 200 per cent, leaving hundreds of families in untenable conditions.  

Across the border, violence in South Kivu has forced more than 500,000 Congolese from their homes. Where access permits, the UN Refugee Agency and their partners continue to conduct protection monitoring and to provide assistance. 

UNHCR is seeking US$47 million over the next four months to assist 500,000 internally-displaced people in the DRC and up to 166,000 refugees in Burundi, Rwanda and other neighbouring countries to which Congolese men, women and children have sought refuge.  

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 

On Sunday, our Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, Huang Xia, has been invited to co-host an Ad Hoc Summit of Heads of State and Government, convened by the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, in his capacity as Chair of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region.  

As you can imagine, the leaders will discuss the current situation in the DRC, especially in the eastern part of the country.  

The Special Envoy hopes that the Summit will provide an opportunity for the leaders of the region to take additional steps to deescalate the situation and to find durable solutions to the conflict, as a complement to the Washington and Doha processes. 

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC 

The UN Peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, MINUSCA, is supporting the preparations for the general elections, which as you will recall, are scheduled for 28 December. This will be the first combined presidential, legislative and local elections ever held in the country.  

The mission is providing logistical support for the deployment of sensitive material, including ballots, electoral rolls, and voter lists. Starting on 17 December, this material was dispatched from Bangui to prefecture capitals and hard-to-reach localities in the CAR. 

On the security front, the mission is supporting the election security mechanism, led by the national authorities. To this end, peacekeepers continue to support the extension of State authority throughout the CAR.  

Beyond this, the peacekeeping mission, in coordination with UNDP, is supporting the National Elections Authority, including through the training of electoral staff.  

This week, the Head of the Peacekeeping Mission in the Central African Republic, Valentine Rugwabiza, said the elections represent a unique opportunity to consolidate constitutional stability and effectively decentralize State authority. 

UNHCR 

Lastly, yesterday, the Secretary-General warmly welcomed the action by the General Assembly to elect Barham Ahmed Salih of Iraq as the next High Commissioner for Refugees.   

He succeeds Filippo Grandi of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his leadership and for his tireless efforts in to protect refugees, displaced persons and stateless people.  

Mr. Salih, as you will recall, served as President of Iraq from 2018 to 2022, and he brings to the job senior diplomatic, political and administrative leadership experience. He served twice as Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government and as Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq. 

INTERNATIONAL DAYS 

Tomorrow is International Human Solidarity Day, a moment to remember that our shared future grows stronger when we act together, guided by solidarity at the core of the UN’s mission. 

On Sunday, it is World Meditation Day. With many forms to choose from, meditation reduces stress, improves focus and supports overall health. 

Sunday is also World Basketball Day, officially recognized by the UN in 2023 and celebrated every year on 21 December.

**Noon Briefings

We are planning to brief on Monday, and then, unless there is breaking news, we will suspend briefings from Tuesday onwards until the first Monday of January, January 5th. The office will be staffed and we will post updates from the UN system in the highlights. 

And, if there is breaking news, there will be briefings.