Israel

Overall, 39 per cent of UN attempts to move aid workers anywhere in Gaza were denied by the Israeli authorities, with another 18 per cent disrupted on the ground or hindered. For the besieged areas in North Gaza governorate, the access has been denied for 88 consecutive days; that is since 6 October 2024.

Millions in Yemen, Israel and throughout the region continue to bear the brunt of military escalations, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, as its members stressed the importance of protecting humanitarian workers and civilians.

Since the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon was announced on 27 November, over 800,000 people have returned to their areas of origin, according to the International Organization for Migration. More than 160,000 people remain displaced, while the situation remains fluid.

As of today, some 664,000 people remain newly displaced across Syria, mostly in Idlib and Aleppo, marking a decrease of about 64,000 people compared to a week ago. UN reports say that returnee movements remain fluid, with nearly 486,000 people having returned to their areas of origin over the past month.

The Security Council today renewed the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan for six months until 30 June 2025 and requested the Secretary-General to ensure that the Force has the required capacity and resources to fulfil its mandate “in a safe and secure way”.

The following statement was issued today by the Bureau of the General Assembly’s Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People:

The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, today allocated $6 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to address the humanitarian needs of refugees fleeing conflict in Sudan to Egypt, in support of the ongoing response there, which has become host to some 1.2 million Sudanese refugees since last April.

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

The collective punishment of the Palestinian people and the relentless bombardment of Gaza by Israeli forces is horrific and unjustifiable, a high-level United Nations official told the Security Council today, which also heard from the brother of an Israeli hostage held by Hamas, who implored the 15-member organ not to let his brother’s life to be “used as a bargaining chip”.

In Syria, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that he United Nations and its partners continue to support the response there as the security situation permits. Health care across the country continues to be disrupted against the backdrop of a fluid security situation.