Democratic Republic of the Congo

In Sudan, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced today that it is temporarily suspending food assistance in some parts of Al Jazirah state, as fighting has spread south and east of the capital, Khartoum

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said today that 65 journalists have been killed in the line of duty in 2023, compared with 88 in 2022. The Head of UNESCO said that this drop conceals an alarming phenomenon: an increase in the number killed in conflict zones and more is online.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Security Council today extended for one year the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) and set out a comprehensive disengagement plan that includes three distinct and successive phases and the gradual handover of responsibility to the Government.

On 7 December 2023, the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo briefed the members of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) in connection with the Group’s midterm report, which was submitted in pursuance of paragraph 6 of resolution 2688 (2023).

In Myanmar, the UN and humanitarian partners today published the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan which indicates that nearly three years after the military takeover a third of the population — about 18.6 million people — needs humanitarian aid, up 1 million from last year.

In Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is concerned about the plight of civilians during the winter as, yet again today, there was another wave of attacks in the Kherson and Odesa regions. These attacks damaged critical civilian infrastructure, including homes, a hospital and a school.

In South Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that more than half of the country’s population is going hungry, and an estimated 1.6 million children are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition through June 2024.

With upcoming elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo fast approaching, speakers in the Security Council today expressed concern over the country’s security situation, humanitarian conditions and regional tensions.

On 11 December, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs will launch its Global Humanitarian Overview for 2024. This is the annual overview of humanitarian trends and needs worldwide — as well as interagency plans to respond to the crises.