Ukraine

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today released its first major global assessment of salt-affected soils in 50 years. It shows that nearly 1.4 billion hectares of land — which is about 10 per cent of the total global land area — are already impacted by salinity.

In Lebanon, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that while the cessation of hostilities provides a much-needed respite, health needs remain overwhelming.  Health services have been severely impacted, and widespread damage to water, sanitation and municipal infrastructure has heightened the risk of disease.

The new developments — no surprise — are worsening an already horrific humanitarian situation for civilians in Syria. The International Organization for Migration sent 10 trucks of critical winter supplies from Gaziantep to the country’s north-west, adding to relief items it had already prepositioned for distribution.

As the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine advances past the thousandth-day mark and ratchets up in intensity, it is “upending the lives of children”, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, at a meeting in which speakers debated the findings of a recent investigation suggesting that Moscow has a programme facilitating the systematic transfer, adoption and naturalization of Ukrainian children.

In South Sudan, the United Nations peacekeeping mission there reports that the country has launched its first national task force to combat gender-based and conflict related sexual violence, with the support of the Organization.

In Lebanon, the UN is focusing on the needs of displaced people who have begun returning home, those still displaced, host communities and those who never left impacted areas. The International Organization for Migration reports that in the first 24 hours of the ceasefire, nearly 580,000 people have begun returning home.

In Myanmar, where the humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate, a record 3.4 million people are now internally displaced, according to UN figures. The 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, which calls for nearly $1 billion, is only one-third funded. The UN appeals to Member States to urgently contribute funds.

As the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine surpasses 1,000 days, speakers warned the Security Council today of a dangerous escalation, citing reports of mid- and long-range missile firings by both sides and the deployment of troops from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the conflict zone.

According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, heavy rainfall caused flooding in multiple sites in Khan Younis and Gaza City where displaced families are staying. People’s tents and other belongings were damaged by the rains. The United Nations and its humanitarian partners have been carrying out field visits to assess the impact of the latest rains.

The World Food Programme (WFP) today urgently appealed for $16.9 billion to address global food needs and the alarming gap between needs and resources. WFP’s Global Outlook 2025 shows that 343 million human beings across 74 countries are acutely food insecure, 10 per cent more than in 2023.