The humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s El Fasher remains dire as mass displacement accelerates and aid access stays restricted, amid warnings of widespread trafficking, sexual violence and the recruitment of children.
The humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s El Fasher remains dire as mass displacement accelerates and aid access stays restricted, amid warnings of widespread trafficking, sexual violence and the recruitment of children.
Aid deliveries into Gaza continue to face difficulties as fighting continues across the territory, with the UN warning that most hospitals are only partially functioning and more than 16,500 patients still require urgent medical evacuation.
This year alone, 4.6 million children in Ukraine are struggling to access education as they endure a fourth academic year under full-scale war.
The United Nations Peacebuilding Fund on Wednesday announced a major milestone, with the approval of more than $1 billion in support to global peacebuilding and conflict-prevention initiatives since 2020.
The ceasefire in Gaza is largely holding but recent violence by Israel and Palestinian militants put the truce at risk, the UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told the Security Council on Monday.
The Security Council is meeting against the backdrop of Gaza’s fragile ceasefire, with ambassadors expected to urge Israel and Hamas to stick to their commitments amid renewed violence and deepening humanitarian needs. The session is likely to focus on safeguarding the truce, easing aid access restrictions and sustaining political momentum. With tensions also rising in the occupied West Bank and southern Lebanon, the meeting will test whether the Council can help stabilise the situation and keep alive a credible path towards Palestinian self-determination. Follow live below and UN News app users can click here. For in-depth meetings coverage, go here.
Farah Youssef refused to let the loss of her leg four years ago during conflict in Gaza to sideline her ambitions.
The UN Deputy Secretary-General voiced deep alarm on Saturday over the latest mass abduction from a school in Nigeria, calling for the immediate release of those taken.
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Seventeen civilians, including women in labour and patients receiving care, were slaughtered inside a Catholic Church-run health centre in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) last week.
Ongoing attacks and airstrikes attributed to Israeli forces in Gaza continue to kill and maim people of all ages in the shattered enclave despite an agreed ceasefire, UN agencies said on Friday.
Officer-in-charge for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas Kayoko Gotoh
Remarks to the Security Council on the situation in Ukraine
New York, 20 November 2025
Mr. President,
Ukrainian civilians have continued to bear the brunt of the Russian Federation’s escalating aerial campaign.
Large-scale attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have caused widespread and prolonged emergency power outages across most regions of the country, leaving millions without heating, water or public transportation as temperatures plummet.
Hospitals, residential buildings, railways, schools, cultural sites, diplomatic facilities, and even kindergartens have been hit.
Most of the civilian casualties and damage continue to be reported in areas close to the frontline, namely in the Kherson, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Sumy and Donetsk regions of Ukraine. But the increased use of long-range weapons by the Russian Federation has placed many more civilians at risk. No region of Ukraine is safe.
Just yesterday, at least 26 people, including three children, were reportedly killed in a Russian drone and missile attack on the western city of Ternopil. Dozens more, including children, were reportedly injured. Many remain missing under the rubble.
This was one of the war’s deadliest strikes on civilians.
In addition, two other western regions - Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk – were also hit. In the northeast, at least 46 people, including two children, were reportedly injured in a drone strike on the city of Kharkiv.
We reiterate the Secretary-General’s strong condemnation of all such indiscriminate attacks against civilians.
Yesterday’s appalling strike follows another massive attack on 14 November, in which hundreds of Russian drones and many missiles hit Kyiv, reportedly killing at least six people and injuring many others.
The attack also damaged the Embassy of Azerbaijan, making it the second incident to impact diplomatic premises in the capital in recent months.
The same day, Russian strikes also shook the Odesa region, reportedly killing two civilians there.
We are concerned over the alarming increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine, with the overall figure from January to October 2025 already exceeding the total for all of last year.
In Kyiv, the number of civilian casualties was nearly 3.8 times higher in the first ten months of 2025 than in all of 2024.
According to figures confirmed by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights , since the start of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, 14,534 Ukrainian civilians, including 745 children, have been killed. 38,472 more civilians, including 2,375 children, have been injured.
The war is reported to be increasingly affecting civilian populations inside the Russian Federation, too.
According to Russian authorities, in 2025 Ukrainian drone strikes have killed 392 people, including 22 children, in the Russian Federation and in the areas of Ukraine occupied by the Russian Federation.
The United Nations is not in a position to verify or confirm these reports and figures.
There are also reports of escalating Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy and industrial facilities.
We recall that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international humanitarian law.
They are unacceptable, wherever they occur, and must stop immediately.
In this context, since the escalation of the attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, the United Nations, through the United Nations Development Programme, has continued to work with the Government of Ukraine to increase the resilience and sustainability of the country’s energy sector. UN support has benefited over 6 million people, enabling continued access to electricity, heating, water, and sanitation in severely affected regions.
My colleague from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Edem Wosornu, will brief on the humanitarian situation and operations. This includes updates on the alarming security threats faced by humanitarian workers, including the attack that on 14 October hit a clearly marked UN humanitarian convoy.
Mr. President,
The past months have once again highlighted the fragility of nuclear safety and security during an active war.
On 23 September, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) lost all its off-site power for the tenth time since February 2022.
After a month-long outage, on 23 October, the Plant was successfully re-connected to Ukraine’s electrical grid. The required repairs were carried out under the protection of a local ceasefire negotiated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and observed by its teams on the ground.
We commend the efforts of the IAEA and continue to urge the sides to act responsibly. Any nuclear incident would have unimaginable consequences not only for Ukraine and the Russian Federation, but far beyond. Such risk must be avoided at all costs.
Mr. President,
In all his engagements during the General Assembly, the Secretary-General spared no effort to focus attention on the war in Ukraine and to uphold the UN’s principled position in support of a just peace.
As we meet today, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo is wrapping up a visit to Ukraine.
She traveled to Kyiv to ensure continued attention on developments in Ukraine, and to personally reiterate the Secretary-General’s message of the UN’s unwavering solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
Mr. President,
Earlier this year, we were encouraged by the resumption of diplomatic efforts towards a ceasefire and a search for lasting peace.
Nearly four years into this war, as the attacks escalate and casualties grow, and calls for an immediate and complete ceasefire increase, such efforts are even more critical. We urge concerted and inclusive diplomatic efforts resulting in tangible progress towards a just and lasting peace.
The alternative is to risk letting the war prolong, expand and escalate further to even more dangerous levels.
We also encourage the Russian Federation and Ukraine to continue working to secure further exchanges of prisoners of war, releases of civilian detainees and return of Ukrainian children. In this regard, we take note of today’s exchange of mortal remains between the sides.
I would like to conclude by reiterating the Secretary-General’s repeated call for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, as a first step towards a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace in Ukraine.
This means a peace that fully upholds Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions.
The United Nations stands ready to support all meaningful efforts to that end.
Thank you.
The Security Council is holding a rare open briefing on Ukraine following days of deadly attacks by Russia on civilian areas and amid a renewed US mission to Kyiv in search of a peace deal. With attacks on energy infrastructure soaring and civilian casualties climbing, Council members have demanded answers and action. Can the Council increase pressure on veto-wielding Moscow, secure better protection and aid for civilians, and push toward an elusive ceasefire? Follow live below, find full UN meetings coverage here; UN News app users can click here.
The lives of people living in Ukraine on the frontline of the war with Russia are becoming more tenuous and support is being provided for those who want to leave as well as those who want to stay in their homes.
General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock warned on Thursday that repeated deadlock in the Security Council has become the “poster child” for wider global gridlock, undermining trust in multilateral institutions.
Between January and September, over 7,400 cases of gender-based violence (GBV) were reported in Haiti – an average of about 27 per day, according to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.
Millions in Ukraine have been left without heating, water or basic public services as winter temperatures plunge – and civilian deaths this year have already surpassed the total for 2024, the UN Security Council heard on Thursday.
DPPA is requesting $3 million in earmarked contributions for our work on the Middle East to sustain mediation, political analysis, and strategic engagement amid multiple interlocking crises. A fully funded Multi-Year Appeal (MYA) will also enable follow-up to the Pact for the Future, which calls on the Secretary-General to actively leverage his good offices and ensure the United Nations is adequately equipped to lead and support mediation, good offices, and peacemaking in this rapidly evolving context.
Excellencies,
It is a pleasure to represent the United Nations on behalf of the Secretary-General at this summit.
It has been nearly four years since the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law.
The war has not only taken thousands of lives, destroyed countless Ukrainian towns and villages, and displaced millions of people.
It has also disrupted global supply routes and vital Ukrainian food exports.
Today, according to the latest report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, an estimated 673 million people in the world continue to face hunger, which is more than 8 percent of the global population.
In this context, the importance of agricultural exports from Ukraine is unquestionable.
Despite the ongoing war, and the wide-spread damage to infrastructure, Ukrainian farmers continue to produce and export grain and oilseeds that feed markets worldwide.
According to the estimates by the International Grain Council this season, Ukraine accounts for over 13 per cent of global maize exports, and over seven per cent of global wheat exports.
However, the ongoing hostilities continue to create barriers for the full realization of Ukraine’s agricultural potential.
An estimated 15-16 million hectares of Ukrainian farmland are contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance, with nearly one-third of farms in frontline areas affected.
This remains one of the greatest barriers to restoring production and livelihoods.
In response, the United Nations has helped safeguard and store more than 7.5 million tonnes of cereals and oilseeds since late 2022. We are now expanding support to mine-action for agriculture, irrigation rehabilitation, and resilient seed systems.
Excellencies,
Acknowledging the fundamental role of Ukraine and the Black Sea routes to global food markets, the UN Secretary-General Guterres and Türkiye brokered the Black Sea Initiative in 2022.
The aim of this Initiative was to benefit Ukrainian farmers and consumers worldwide by enabling the safe transportation of nearly 33 million metric tons of grains and other foodstuffs to 45 countries, across three continents.
Following the expiry of the Black Sea Initiative and the establishment by Ukraine of a new corridor for its exports in 2023, the United Nations has continued to provide its support.
We advocated for free and safe navigation in the Black Sea to enable the normalization of exports to global markets.
The Secretary-General continues to make his good offices available towards this objective, as well as in related areas in the protection of civilian infrastructure.
However, the only lasting solution is an end to the war.
The United Nations’ position remains consistent and principled: We continue to call for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
A ceasefire that can help pave the way for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in Ukraine, in full respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, in line with the UN Charter, international law, and relevant UN resolutions.
Thank you.
At least 25 people were killed and dozens more injured in a new wave of overnight strikes across several regions of Ukraine, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
Living conditions for Gazans – particularly children – are still dire as temperatures drop and families return to bombed-out homes as the fragile ceasefire holds, UN aid workers said on Wednesday.
Nearly a year on from the fall of Assad, Syrians still lack many basic necessities as the transitional government works to shore up the economy and build social cohesion.
Ending hunger by 2030 would cost just $93 billion a year — less than one per cent of the $21.9 trillion spent on military budgets over the past decade, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP).
The UN is prepared to play “any role” needed to advance the breakthrough Security Council resolution endorsing the United States-led Gaza peace plan.
Expanding terrorist networks, mass displacement and the collapse of essential services in West Africa and the Sahel are a growing concern worldwide.
UNICEF has strongly condemned a deadly attack on a school in Kebbi State, northwest Nigeria, which left the Vice-Principal dead and resulted in the reported abduction of at least 25 students.
As UN Secretary-General António Guterres hailed Monday’s Security Council resolution paving the way for a consolidated ceasefire via a temporary International Stabilization Force in Gaza, UN aid teams warned that many Palestinian children in the enclave are in no shape to endure another harsh winter.
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Monday that endorses a peace plan for Gaza put forward by United States President Donald Trump and a temporary international force in the enclave following two years of war.
UN relief chief Tom Fletcher held “useful” and “tough” discussions with the two sides battling for control of Sudan this week, pushing for access to aid for those in desperate need, he told journalists in New York on Monday.
The UN Security Council is expected to vote at 5pm in New York today on a US-sponsored draft resolution that would authorise the creation of an international stabilisation force in the Gaza Strip.
The UN refugee agency has welcomed aspects of the United Kingdom’s proposed changes to its asylum system, while emphasising the importance of fair, efficient protection for those fleeing conflict and persecution.
For millions of people worldwide caught up in conflict, “war and hunger are often two faces of the same crisis,” UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told the Security Council on Monday, as it met to examine how food insecurity fuels fighting.
The Security Council has passed a US-backed resolution which will establish an international force to restore order in Gaza, protect civilians and open the way for large-scale aid and rebuilding. There were 13 votes for, none against – while Russia and China abstained amid concerns that Russia might veto the text. US ambassador Mike Waltz thanked ambassadors, hailing it as an “historic and constructive resolution” which charts a new course for the Middle East. Follow live below, check out full meetings coverage here, and UN News app users, follow here.
On Sunday, a foot patrol of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was targeted by an Israeli army Merkava tank from an Israeli position in Lebanese territory.
Ukraine is facing what has been described as an “unprecedented housing crisis” three and a half years after the full-scale invasion of the Eastern European country by Russia.
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Just how many people are still trapped in the Sudanese city of El Fasher? That’s the burning question for relatives of the many thousands of people believed to still be there, since paramilitary fighters overran the regional capital of North Darfur last month, after a 500-day siege.
Several civilians were killed and many others injured, including children, in a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine’s capital and the wider Kyiv region early on Friday.
Images emerged this week of what appear to be mobs of masked Israeli settlers carrying out arson attacks on Palestinian homes and property, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) said on Friday.
More than 21 million people in Sudan, 45 per cent of the population, are not getting enough to eat as the war between rival militaries continues, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).
More than nine in 10 children in Gaza are displaying signs of aggressive behaviour linked to more than two years of war between Hamas and Israel, welfare agencies have reported.
