UN Noon Briefing: Ukraine, Iran, Sudan, Gaza, and Global Affairs (January 12, 2026)

Security Council and Ukraine

• 🗓️ The Security Council Branch released 2025 Highlights of Security Council Practice, detailing meetings, agenda items, and subsidiary body work.
• 🇺🇦 A Security Council briefing on Ukraine is scheduled, with Rosemary DiCarlo expected to highlight renewed fighting and devastation, including the use of the Oreshnik missile.
• ⚡ Humanitarian coordinator Ramesh Rajasingham will warn about the impact of attacks on civilians and energy facilities, exacerbating freezing temperatures.

Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine

• 💔 Civilians, including health workers, have been killed and injured across multiple Ukrainian regions due to renewed fighting.
• 🥶 Hundreds of thousands of households are without electricity and heating, with temperatures dropping to nearly -20°C.
• 🛠️ Aid workers are providing essential support, including hot meals and mobile warming centers, while inter-agency convoys deliver critical supplies to front-line areas.
• 📢 A prioritized Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for 2026 for Ukraine will be launched, calling for continued solidarity.

Iran: Protests and International Response

• 📢 The Secretary-General expressed shock at the violence and excessive use of force against protesters in Iran, urging maximum restraint and respect for fundamental rights.
• 🗣️ Calls for enabling access to information and restoring communication links in Iran were made.
• 🇺🇸 Concerns were raised regarding US rhetoric and potential military intervention, with a call for diplomacy and dialogue.

Sudan: Escalating Conflict and Humanitarian Needs

• 🇪🇬 The Secretary-General's Personal Envoy is in Cairo for a consultative meeting to advance peacemaking efforts in Sudan.
• ⚠️ Escalating insecurity in the Cordopon region is disrupting health services and displacing civilians.
• 🏥 Three major hospitals in Dilling are out of service, and four doctors have reportedly been killed.
• 🆘 Humanitarian access is severely restricted, with a call for immediate cessation of attacks on civilians and infrastructure.
• 🏠 Over 2,200 people were displaced in South Cordon State, with host areas reaching a breaking point.
• 💰 OCHA urgently appeals for additional funding to avert a deeper humanitarian catastrophe.

Middle East: Peacekeeping and Gaza

• 🇯🇴 Jean-Pierre Lacroix, head of Peace Operations, is in the Middle East, discussing peacekeeping and regional situations.
• 🇸🇾 UN peacekeepers reaffirm their commitment in Syria, while humanitarian partners provide assistance to displaced families in Aleppo.
• 🇵🇸 The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with harsh weather conditions jeopardizing response efforts.
• ⛺ Partners delivered shelter supplies, but 1.1 million people still urgently need help, with tents being a temporary solution.
• 📚 Education supplies continue to be denied entry by Israeli authorities, a stance the UN disagrees with.

Other Global Updates

• 🇧🇷 Venezuela received a shipment of medical cargo from Brazil to address critical shortages.
• 🇰🇪 UNHCR High Commissioner called for stronger global support for refugees in Kenya, highlighting a funding crisis.
• 🕊️ A unified Peacebuilding and Peace Support Office has been established under the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.
• 🇨🇩 Nine countries have made it to the Honor Roll for 2026 for paying their UN dues on time.