LESOTHO
The Secretary-General is on his way back to New York. He just completed his visit to Lesotho where he visited a dam this morning in the northeast of the country, which is central to the Highlands Water Project, constructed to benefit both South Africa and Lesotho.
As you know, the Secretary-General has been speaking about Africa’s potential and how Lesotho is setting a remarkable example to the world, by investing in renewable energy and in new dams and areas that will allow for it to be in the front line of the countries that are able to be green in its development.
And we will have the Secretary-General back in the office here on Monday.
SYRIA
Our Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, is traveling to Jordan today for high-level discussions.
Over the weekend, he plans to meet with Arab foreign ministers, the Foreign Minister of Türkiye, the US Secretary of State, and other senior officials who will be present at a meeting in Aqaba.
Mr. Pedersen has held numerous phone consultations in recent days on the situation in Syria. He has spoken with the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, and the Netherlands, as well as senior officials from a range of other countries. His office has maintained regular contact with key actors on the ground.
Additionally, the Office continues daily engagement with a broad spectrum of Syrian civil society representatives, both within and outside of the country.
SYRIA/HUMANITARIAN
Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says the UN and our partners continue to support the response in Syria as the security situation permits.
Healthcare across the country continues to be disrupted against the backdrop of a fluid security situation. Some facilities have had to close due to looting and lack of medical staff and medicine.
In north-east Syria, our health partners have activated more than 20 mobile medical units for critical cases and to provide primary care consultations. And in the north-west, 30 mobile medical teams have been deployed to provide basic healthcare, vaccinations and maternal care.
We also continue to support displaced people and deliver aid - including food, tents, winter clothes, hygiene kits and cash.
However, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that more support is needed to reach more people and support host communities.
For its part, the UN Refugee Agency says that although figures are not yet available, thousands of Syrian refugees have started to return to Syria from Lebanon through the official Masnaa border point, as well as other border crossings. At the same time, some Syrians have fled into Lebanon.
UNHCR also says that, in the past 72 hours, they have been able to resume through their local partners some of their activities in areas which are now more secure. For example, UNHCR supports 114 community centres all over Syria, which provide a whole range of services to Syrians and to the internally displaced, but also to those who are returning.
U.N. OBSERVER DISENGAGEMENT FORCE
Just a quick update from UNDOF, the Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan, their personnel remain at their positions in the area of separation in Golan and they continue to carry out their mandated activities.
Since 7 December, UNDOF has observed a significant increase in Israel Defense Forces (IDF) movements within the area of separation and along the ceasefire line, where they have been constructing counter-mobility obstacles since July 2024. UNDOF confirms that as of 13 December, the IDF remains in the area of separation in multiple locations.
UNDOF has informed its Israeli counterparts that these actions constitute a violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
UNDOF urges all parties to respect their obligations under that Agreement, cease all military activities in the area of separation, and uphold the terms of the 1974 agreement to preserve stability in the Golan.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Turning to Gaza, Muhannad Hadi, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said today that he is very concerned about the rapidly deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Gaza. In recent days, he said, multiple strikes across the Gaza Strip have resulted in scores of reported fatalities, and numerous injuries, with women and children among the casualties.
He also expressed concern at the insecurity that has hampered the work of UN aid convoys, including the looting of a 70-truck convoy that was traveling at the Kerem Shalom crossing on Wednesday and the looting of four out of five trucks leaving the Kissufim crossing that same day.
Mr. Hadi said that the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attacks must be respected at all times. He called on all parties to ensure the protection of civilians and the safe and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid.
OCHA says that since 6 October, the UN and our partners have tried to coordinate 137 missions to those parts of the north. More than 90 per cent – that’s about 124 planned missions – were denied outright. The other 13 were approved but then faced impediments along the way.
Since Monday, we have submitted 16 requests – that’s between three and five each day. Almost all were flat-out denied. The only mission to get the greenlight was prevented from moving into all the areas it set out to reach.
OCHA stresses that once again that humanitarian movements must be facilitated across Gaza – including to areas in the north, where thousands of Palestinians are facing apocalyptic conditions after almost 10 weeks under siege.
I would also remind you that the Famine Review Committee has said already on 8 November, there was a strong likelihood that famine was imminent in northern Gaza and called for immediate action, “within days not weeks”.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC/PEACEKEEPING
Our Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, is heading to the Central African Republic from 16 to 20 December. During his visit, he is scheduled to meet with President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, Prime Minister Félix Moloua, and others, to take stock of the implementation of the political and peace process and update on ongoing UN peacekeeping efforts and challenges.
As part of his trip, Mr. Lacroix will meet with peacekeepers serving in the country and will also engage with civil society organizations, women’s groups, and religious leaders. He will travel to Bambari, in the Ouaka Region - northeast of Bangui - where he will engage with local stakeholders. He will also visit the "Village Intégré," a site built by the humanitarian community following an arson attack on the Bambari site for displaced people back in 2022.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
And staying in the country, the Central African Republic, where one in three people in the country faces acute hunger which is IPC Phase 3 or worse, according to a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis.
Our colleagues at the World Food Programme said the situation is set to get worse between April and August next year. If they do not receive adequate humanitarian assistance, 2.3 million people - or 35 per cent of the population- are expected to face acute food insecurity, including over 430,000 men, women and children at risk of emergency levels of hunger.
Under the leadership of the Government, WFP has been providing school meals to 170,000 children throughout the country.
The agency is also working to address the root causes of hunger and vulnerability by strengthening systems and boosting the capacity to prevent and build resilience to future shocks.
WFP provides food and nutrition assistance to crisis-affected populations including Sudanese refugees, internally displaced people, as well as returnees to the CAR. To continue this work through May of next year, the agency needs $59.6 million.
SECURITY COUNCIL
Staying in the region but coming back to the Security Council, this morning, the Special Representative for the Secretary-General for Central Africa, Abdou Abarry, said the challenges the world faces are also impacting Central Africa region. The region has not escaped security crises, climatic emergencies or geopolitical rivalries.
He said his office intends to ensure that the region benefits as much as possible from the momentum generated by the Pact for the Future, in terms of conflict prevention, sustainable development, reform of the international financial system and the Security Council, as well as other priority issues for the sub-region.
He also said he is following with great attention the preparations for several elections due to take place in the region next year and in 2026, noting that countries including Chad, Cameroon, Gabon and the Central African Republic have requested electoral assistance from the UN, and most have already received needs assessment missions.
TROPICAL CYCLONE CHIDO
Turning to south-east Africa, our humanitarian colleagues are closely monitoring the path of Tropical Cyclone Chido, which is expected to make landfall in Mozambique this weekend as an intense Category 3 cyclone. The cyclone is on its course to hit Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado Province, and nearby provinces in the early hours of Sunday.
As you will recall, a few years back that same area was hit by another cyclone. Our humanitarian colleagues note that Chido is forecast to bring strong winds and very heavy rains, which could lead to flooding and mudslides. About 2.7 million people live in Chido’s projected path, including more than 1.7 million people in Mozambique, 440,000 people in Malawi and nearly 370,000 people in Comoros.
The Government of Mozambique has activated early warning systems and is opening accommodation space.
We, with our humanitarian partners, are working with national and provincial authorities, as well as aid agencies, to pre-position essential supplies. Teams are also on standby to carry out needs assessments after the storm hits.
We are also deploying teams to Malawi and Comoros to support preparations there. And in Mozambique, OCHA is deploying to the area as we speak.
MYANMAR
Turning to Myanmar, we and our partners launched the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, appealing for $1.1 billion to reach 5.5 million people next year.
Humanitarian needs have reached unprecedented levels in Myanmar, with nearly 20 million people – nearly a third of them children – needing some form of help in 2025. This is an increase of 1.3 million people from this year. And according to our figures, 3.5 million people are internally displaced across the country and more than 15 million people are facing acute food insecurity.
Despite challenges, aid workers reached 3 million people in need in the first three quarters of this year. However, severe underfunding in 2024 left millions of people without aid. We urge the international community to scale up support for Myanmar in 2025 to prevent the crisis from further deteriorating.
ETHIOPIA-SOMALIA
You saw, for the record we issued a formal statement on the agreement brokered by Türkiye between Somalia and Ethiopia, and we issued that after the briefing yesterday.
