Peacekeeping

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.

The 2018 South Sudan peace agreement is at serious risk, raising fears that the world’s newest country could relapse into full-scale civil war, Security Council speakers warned today.

In Madagascar, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that another cyclone is expected to make landfall tomorrow. This comes on the heels of Tropical Cyclone Fytia, which touched down on 31 January. The Central Emergency Response Fund has released $3 million to help pre-position staff and supplies.

Against the backdrop of budget cuts and a severe liquidity crisis, United Nations peace operations and their police contingents are making hard choices — often in very difficult conditions — to deliver on their mandates, the Security Council heard today in a briefing by senior officers.

In Chad today, a humanitarian response plan was launched, calling for $986 million to assist 3.4 million people, including $540 million dedicated to refugees. The plan comes as Chad continues to face one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the Sahel.

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.

The Security Council today renewed the United Nations peacekeeping presence in Cyprus for another year, welcomed the intensification of dialogue in 2025 and called upon the sides and all parties to engage actively with the Secretary-General and his team.

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..