Noon briefing of 6 January 2026

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC​,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
TUESDAY, 6 JANUARY 2026

VENEZUELA 

The UN Humanitarian Country Team, bringing together the UN and other humanitarian partners, is continuing to support people in need in Venezuela.

Teams from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA) continue to monitor developments, together with our humanitarian partners. Psychosocial support hotlines are in place and mapping is being carried out to ensure essential services reach the most vulnerable people.  

For their part, the World Food Programme (WFP) says that WFP activities, such as general food distribution and emergency response to people impacted by flooding in Venezuela continues.  The World Food Programme’s school meal programme also continues to be on schedule and will resume after school break. 

SUDAN 

In Sudan, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that escalating violence, particularly across the Kordofan region, continues to put civilians at extreme risk and drive new waves of displacement. The UN humanitarian team on the ground notes that according to the Sudan Doctors Network, a drone attack today in the city of El Obeid, in North Kordofan State, allegedly claimed the lives of 13 civilians, including children. 

In South Kordofan State, displacement has increased sharply in recent days. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that between December 31st and January 4th, violence drove nearly 1,000 people to flee in Quoz locality, Kadugli town and Berdab village. 

Yesterday, another 2,000 people were uprooted from Um Dam Haj Ahmed locality, also in North Kordofan State. 

In total, between October 25th and December 30th, some 65,000 individuals were displaced from multiple locations across the Kordofan region. 

Once again, the UN reiterates its urgent call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the protection of civilians. The UN also reiterates the need for rapid, safe, sustained humanitarian access, so aid can reach those in need. 

LEBANON/ISRAEL 

Turning to the situation along the Blue Line, between Israel and Lebanon. The UN is aware of Israel’s strikes carried out late Monday night, following evacuation orders, on targets reportedly linked to Hizbullah and Hamas. The strikes occurred in areas north of the Litani River, including in western Biqa, in Lebanese territory. 

In southern Lebanon, peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) yesterday reported three airstrikes in their area of operations: one in Khiam and two in Adchit al-Qusayr, both in Sector East. UNIFIL also detected several fighter aircraft activities above UNIFIL area of operations. 

In addition, UN peacekeepers reported multiple instances of direct fire originating from Israel Defense Forces positions south of the Blue Line, including small arms fire impacting the Kfar Shouba area, a Merkava tank fire near Shab’a, and a small arms fire impacting near a UN position near Kfar Shouba. All of that is in Sector East.      

The Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL), headed by Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, and UNIFIL through their respective channels remain in close contact with the parties to prevent an escalation of tensions. 

The Secretary-General recalls the progress made since the cessation of hostilities arrangement entered into force in November 2024. The related Mechanism, rather than unilateral actions, should be used to prevent the loss of hard-won gains and pave the way to the full implementation of resolution 1701 and the stability and security on both sides of the Blue Line for the sake of the people who live on both sides of that line. 

As previously mentioned, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, is in the region. Today he visited UNIFIL headquarters and conducted aerial and ground tours of the Blue Line.  

At the Mission headquarters in Naqoura, the UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Diodato Abagnara briefed Mr. Lacroix on the work of the Mission, and Mr. Lacroix also had a chance to interact with peacekeepers and thank them for their dedicated service in extremely challenging and dangerous circumstances.

SYRIA

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that thousands of displaced families in the north of Syria are struggling to survive freezing conditions, as humanitarian funding continues to shrink. 

On December 31st, a snowstorm hit 90 displacement sites across the governorates of Aleppo, of Idleb and Al-Hasakeh, affecting more than 150,000 people, many of them already living in fragile shelters.  

UN humanitarian partners report that two infants died from extreme cold in the Harim area of northern Idleb. 

Around 5,000 shelters were fully or partially damaged, leaving thousands of people exposed to freezing temperatures and at serious risk of hypothermia and respiratory illness.  

In Hasakeh city and in collective shelters in the city of Ar-Raqqa, displacement sites have now run out of fuel after previous fuel support ended in December due to funding shortages.  

Since the storm, partners have been able to provide stoves and fuel to more than 10,000 people in camps but needs far outstrip available assistance.  

Overall, our humanitarian partners need $112 million for life-saving winter assistance from September 2025 to March of this year. To date, just $29 million has been received, leaving a 74 per cent funding gap and obviously,placing lives at risk.

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY  

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that further progress has been made in scaling up humanitarian response in Gaza, despite persistent impediments. 

The OCHA team leading shelter interventions said that winter storms in December impacted 65,000 households. Tents were blown away or damaged, homes collapsed under storm conditions, and personal belongings were soaked. In several locations, entire displacement sites were flooded due to inadequate drainage and low-lying terrain. 

During December, aid workers supported about 80,000 families with more than 40,000 tents, over 135,000 tarpaulins, and nearly 115,000 other items, including mattresses and blankets. That work is ongoing. 

In a publication issued yesterday, our partners working in shelter stress that tents cannot serve as the primary and sole option for shelter in Gaza, and obviously, they only offer temporary protection. They urge an accelerated shift towards more sustainable solutions, including repairs to damaged homes. At the same time, they warn that insufficient land is available for people seeking to relocate to areas at lower risk of flooding. With recent rainstorms offsetting some of the gains made during the ceasefire, partners estimate that more than one million people across Gaza still require urgent shelter assistance. 

OCHA adds that the latest winter storms also damaged temporary learning spaces and roads used by aid workers to bring much-needed supplies into Gaza. 

On a positive note, our partners report that last week, they finalized the delivery of security communications equipment that had been pre-positioned in Jerusalem awaiting for approval to enter Gaza since August 2024.   

While this is critical to strengthen the safety of humanitarian operations, they tell us that other equipment, including key power-supply solutions, continue to be denied access.  

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issounding the alarm over a surge in violence in Ituri province, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Violence there is also severely disrupting life-saving operations in the region. 

The town of Bule and nearby areas have experienced ongoing hostilities since early December. Local authorities report that at least 25 civilians have been killed and more than 40 injured over the last month. 

OCHA said that the insecurity has effectively cut off assistance to more than 87,000 displaced people, currently living in and around Bule. These families face critical shortages of food, healthcare and most of all, clean water. 

Due to the volatile security situation, no humanitarian group has been able to operate in the affected areas for more than a month.  

The UN reminds all parties to the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers wherever they need to be.

Safe, predictable and unhindered humanitarian access is essential to deliver life-saving assistance and to prevent a further deterioration of the situation. Humanitarians stand ready to scale up as soon as access is secured. 

NOON BRIEFING GUEST

Tomorrow, the noon briefing guest will Ghulam Isaczai, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the United Nations in Iraq.  

BERNARD ROBINSON 

In closing, I wanted to note the passing of one of our cherished colleague and friend from the Department of Safety and Security. 

Bernard “Robbie” Robinson retired from the UN in 2022 with the rank of inspector after 32 years of dedicated service to the United Nations. 

For close to ten years, Robbie was the lead officer for then-Secretary-General’s Ban Ki-moon’s security detail. That work took him the world over, far from his native island of Dominica. 

Robbie was a good friend, he was a colorful raconteur, and a great travel partner who, wherever we landed, knew where to get food and a cold beer.  

We send our condolences to his wife, his children and his grandchildren. We know his work took him away from his family a lot, but I want his family to know how much we value him, and we appreciated him at the UN, which was his home away from home.