Noon briefing of 5 February 2026

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,

SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES

THURSDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 2026

NIGERIA

The Secretary-General strongly condemns the terrorist attack of 3 February, in Kwara State, in Nigeria, which reportedly killed over 100 people.  

The Secretary-General conveys his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of Nigeria, and of course, he wishes a speedy recovery to all those injured.  

The Secretary-General reiterates the solidarity of the United Nations with the Government and people of Nigeria in their efforts to fight terrorism and violent extremism. He stresses the importance of bringing the perpetrators to justice.  

OLYMPICS 

The Secretary-General is arriving in Milan in a few hours, where he will attend the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics that will take place on Friday. While there, he will meet with the new President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Kirsty Coventry. 

the Secretary-General will deliver a video message for the Opening Ceremony, and he will underscore that the Olympics and the Paralympics are a beacon of hope, as well as a celebration of human potential, of teamwork, fair play and mutual respect.

Maryam Bukar Hassan of Nigeria, who was named the first Global Advocate for Peace for the UN’s Peace & Security Pillar, will also be present at the Olympics. 

Along with other global influencers, she will be serving as an official Olympic Flag Bearer at the opening ceremony.  

She was selected by the IOC for her ongoing commitment to gender equality, youth empowerment, and inclusive peace.  

NEW START TREATY 

In a statement issued yesterday evening, the Secretary-General said that the expiration of the New START Treaty marks a grave moment for international peace and security. For the first time in more than half a century, we face a world without any binding limits on the strategic nuclear arsenals of both the Russian Federation and the United States. 

The Secretary-General said that this dissolution of decades of achievement could not come at a worse time, as the risk of a nuclear weapon being used is the highest it has been in decades. Even in this moment of uncertainty, however, we must search for hope, he said.This is an opportunity to reset and create an arms control regime fit for a rapidly evolving context.  

He welcomes that the Presidents of both the Russian Federation and the United States have made clear that they appreciate the destabilizing impact of a nuclear arms race and the need to prevent the return to a world of unchecked nuclear proliferation. 

Mr. Guterres urges both States to return to the negotiating table without delay and to agree upon a successor framework that restores verifiable limits, reduces risks, and strengthens our common security.  

SECURITY COUNCIL 

This afternoon, the Security Council will hear a briefing on UN peacekeeping operations, and more specifically on Police Commissioners.  

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of our Peace Operations Department, will brief Council members, along with UN Police Adviser Faisal Shahkar, the Police Commissioner of our peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mamouna Ouedraogo, as well as the Police Commissioner for the UN Mission in South Sudan, Meinolf Schlotmann. 

HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE 

Today, Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, appealed for $400 million to address global human rights needs this year, warning that with mounting crises, the world cannot afford a human rights system that is in crisis. 

In 2025, despite funding cuts, staff working for the Human Rights Office in 87 countries around the world observed more than 1,300 trials, supported 67,000 survivors of torture, documented tens of thousands of human rights violations, and contributed to the release of more than 4,000 people from arbitrary detention. 

Mr. Turk called on Member States to step up support for the low-cost, high-impact work that his Office does and helps stabilise communities, builds trust in institutions, and supports lasting peace. 

UKRAINE 

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that hostilities in front-line areas continue to kill and injure civilians and damage to infrastructure.  

As reported by the authorities, a deadly attack on a street market yesterday in Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region killed several civilians and injured a dozen others, including many older residents who were buying food. This latest incident comes on the heels of others in recent days that killed several civilians and injured dozens of others in the front-line regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk, as well as in Kyiv. 

OCHA notes that evacuations continue, and, in January alone, 6,000 people were evacuated from the region of Donetsk, and the numbers continue to increase, according to what partners on the ground are telling us.

Today, Edem Wosornu, theb Director of OCHA’s Crisis Response Division, who remains in Ukraine, she accompanied Matthias Schmale, our Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, to visit a transit site in Lozova in the region of Kharkiv. That site receives evacuees from theDonetsk region where displaced people are provided with basic and medical supplies as well as humanitarian cash assistance.  

In 2025, aid organizations helped evacuate 260,000 civilians fleeing hostilities near the front lines. Humanitarians provided transportation support; distributed cash assistance, food and other supplies; and assisted people in collective sites.   

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the Ministry of Health in Gaza today reported dozens of fatalities and injuries over the previous 24 hours, adding that many people remained inaccessible to emergency teams.  

As a reminder, all parties must fulfil their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.  

Meanwhile, last night, our teams on the ground received 25 additional returnees who had crossed through Rafah. As in previous nights, our colleagues from the UN Development Programme(UNDP) provided transportation to the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where OCHA and our partners continue operating a reception area with protection specialists, psychologists, medical personnel and others to help provide support to the newly returned.          

Also yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners supported the medical evacuation of eight patients and 17 companions from Gaza to Egypt through Rafah. And earlier today, they supported the medical evacuation of seven patients and 14 companions.  

The UN is working with all stakeholders to address persistent challenges hindering the operations, so that more people can receive the care that they so desperately need, and that they can receive it safely and with dignity. WHO say their key priority is to ensure the entry of more humanitarian supplies into Gaza and to quickly scale up health services, rehabilitate damaged facilities and expand critical services. These efforts are essential to build a resilient and sustainable health system, reducing the need for medical evacuations. 

The UN continues to call for the immediate reopening of the medical referral route to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which will expedite care for more patients. More than 18,500 patients in Gaza still require specialized treatment that is unavailable to them locally.  

Turning to the West Bank, OCHA warns that high levels of displacement continue. Since the beginning of 2026, more than 900 Palestinians have been forced out of their homes or communities, mostly due to settler violence and access restrictions, followed by demolitions. These figures are as of yesterday.  

In just two weeks, from 20 January until this Monday, OCHA documented more than 50 Israeli settler attacks that resulted in casualties, property damage or both.  

OCHA is carrying out preliminary assessments of damage and needs following these incidents, to inform the humanitarian response by both us and our partners.   

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)today said that they remain deeply concerned by renewed violence in the province of Ituri, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which continues to severely disrupt life‑saving humanitarian operations.  

Since yesterday, fighting in and around the town of Bule has claimed the lives of at least two civilians and injured several others. That is what local partners are telling us. 

The fighting has forced the suspension of food distributions that was scheduled to begin today. More than 78,000 people displaced in and around Bule haven’t been able to receive assistance since early December. That leaves families facing shortages of food, healthcare and clean water. 

OCHA continues to be in close contact with local authorities and our partners to adapt our operations as conditions on the ground may change.

The UN reminds all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and ensure the safety of humanitarian workers and assets. We need safe, predictable and unimpeded humanitarian access to prevent a further deterioration of the situation.  

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO/PEACEKEEPING 

The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) today said that earlier this week, they have completed the first phase of Operation Nyundo.  

This operation was launched in August 2025 to counter activities of the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) armed group through targeted offensive actions against the group in the part of North Kivu known as the grand Nord.  

During this time, ADF activities declined by 77 per cent in the area of operations and several communities were protected by peacekeepers.  

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC 

In the Central African Republic, the Government and the humanitarian community jointly launched this year’s Humanitarian Response Plan, appealing for $264 million to help 1.3 million of the most vulnerable people in the country. 

Our colleagues say this is the lowest amount we’ve asked for in recent years; humanitarian needs remain staggeringly high, as we are focusing on the most urgent life-saving priorities. 

Despite security improvements in some parts of the country, conflict, epidemics and climate disasters continue to disrupt lives, [leaving] 2.3 million people – that is about one third of the population –  in need of humanitarian aid. Plus, they have about 40,000 Sudanese refugees who sought refuge. 

Last year we only got a third of the funding we need.

If we don’t get support, more than 1.2 million people could be left without critical assistance. This would mean malnourished children going untreated, families going without food or shelter, and communities losing access to healthcare. 

CHAD

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that today in N’djamena, the UN and its humanitarian partners, together with the Government, launched the 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan to support millions of people across the country. 

The Plan calls for $986 million, including $540 million dedicated to refugees, to help 3.4 million people.  

Chad continues to face one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the Sahel, driven by conflict, large-scale displacement, climate shocks, food insecurity, malnutrition and disease outbreaks. The country is hosting more than 1.5 million refugees, along with hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people and returnees. 

The UN and its partners will focus our efforts on the most impacted regions, including the east, the Lake Province and parts of the south. 

PEACEBUILDING FUND 

The Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) has allocated $2 million for a new initiative in Benghazi and Derna in Libya to support locally led peacebuilding and recovery, with a focus on expanding economic opportunities for young people. The initiative will strengthen the capacities of newly established local peacebuilding committees, while entrepreneurship training and business support will help to diversify the economy.  

It complements the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) mandate by addressing socio-economic drivers of instability and linking local recovery with conflict prevention and stabilization. 

The Peacebuilding Fund has allocated $5 million for an initiative in Somalia to strengthen interim justice, security, and local governance, in two districts, Bahdo and Masajid Ali Gudud.                                           

Implemented by UNDP and IOM, the initiative will support local authorities and communities to establish basic governance functions, improve community safety, and expand fair and accessible dispute-resolution mechanisms, with particular attention to women, youth, and marginalized groups. 

BURKINA FASO 

Earlier today, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called on the de facto authorities of Burkina Faso to put an end to all forms of repression of civic space, and to overturn its intention to prohibit all political parties. 
He called on the de facto authorities in the country to open up space for civil society, including humanitarian actors, to respect the exercise of freedom of association and expression, and to lift bans on the activities of political parties, in accordance with Burkina Faso’s international obligations and commitments. 

Mr. Türk also called on the de facto authorities to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance to all those in need across the country, and unconditionally release those arbitrarily detained. Accountability for serious human rights violations must be pursued, he added.  

COSTA RICA

The UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Costa Rica, together with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Ministry of Public Education, launched today, “Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom”, the country’s first practical, step-by-step guideline to support the official training of 64,000 educators nationwide. 

The UN team in the country notes that this initiative is a concrete example of the UN 2.0 vision in action, supporting Costa Rica’s leadership in translating AI ambition into practical, classroom-ready guidance, ensuring that AI is used safely, responsibly, and effectively to strengthen the education system. 

In parallel, the UN team in Costa Rica is working with the Government to develop a national AI cooperation framework.       

This framework will support high-level policy dialogue and the development of national roadmaps on AI, human rights, sustainable development, education, and digital government, among other priority areas. 

HONOUR ROLL 

Australia, Austria, Croatia and Cyprus paid their dues in full for the Regular Budget. This brings the number of Member States on the Honour Roll to 51.