In Iran, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says it is deeply concerned about the deadly impact the ongoing military escalation is having on children there. Approximately 180 children have reportedly been killed and many more injured.
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The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reports a sharp rise of violence in Abiemnom, in the Ruweng Administrative Area, where youth stormed the county headquarters, injuring at least 23 people. UNMISS is now sheltering over 1,000 civilians inside its base and giving emergency medical care to the injured.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that at least 7,667 people died or went missing on migration routes in 2025, with sea crossings among the deadliest. Of these, 2,185 people were in the Mediterranean; 1,214 were on the Western Africa/Atlantic route. The figures are lower than the nearly 9,200 deaths recorded in 2024.
In Ethiopia, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights today urged all parties to take urgent steps towards de-escalation, warning that recent fighting in Tigray risks deepening the human rights crisis in the country’s north.
In Somalia, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that severe drought conditions continue to displace people across the country. According to authorities and UN agencies, nearly half a million people have now abandoned their homes since September 2025.
In support of the Lebanese Armed Forces, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) conducted four-day coordinated activities with Lebanese Army personnel to enhance operational readiness and joint capabilities, including foot and vehicle patrols, checkpoints and equipment use.
In Ukraine, the Humanitarian Coordinator there called for Moscow’s attacks on critical infrastructure to stop, as thousands face harsh winter conditions amid a new round of weekend attacks. According to local authorities, between 23 January and today, those attacks killed and injured several civilians, including children.
In Syria, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was able to access Al Hol camp, together with Syrian Government officials, and established contact with some residents. Essential supplies resumed following a three-day interruption, with bread trucks facilitated by UNHCR entering the camp today, and water trucks yesterday..
In Mozambique, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that more than half a million people have been affected by recent floods, including in Gaza, Maputo and Sofala. Nearly 5,000 kilometres of roads are damaged across nine provinces, with the main road connecting Maputo to the rest of the country now inaccessible.
Since 10 December, the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, Huang Xia, has held several exchanges with officials regarding the rapid deterioration of the situation in Uvira and its regional implications, including the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Burundi, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.