Top Stories | Friday: Sudan, Ukraine, DRC/Rwanda, cyclones

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December 5, 2025 UN

The top news of the day at the UN and around the world: an attack on a kindergarten in Kordofan, Sudan; tens of thousands of residents in Ukraine left without electricity and heat; the Washington peace accords between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda; and the aftermath of natural disasters in Southeast Asia.

Conflict in Sudan

UNICEF announced today that drone strikes on a kindergarten in South Kordofan, Sudan, have reportedly killed more than 10 children aged 5 to 7. The UN Children's Fund emphasizes that attacks on schools and hospitals constitute serious violations of international law. The sharp deterioration of the security situation in the Kordofan region since early November has led to mass displacement and exacerbated the plight of local residents. The UN also strongly condemned the attack on a World Food Programme truck that occurred last night in Northern Darfur.

Strikes against Ukraine

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that civilians continue to suffer as a result of attacks and fighting across Ukraine. In Kherson, strikes damaged energy infrastructure, leaving over 40,000 people without heat. The attack also resulted in the perinatal center was damagedIn Odesa, 60,000 people were left without electricity. The UN and partners continue to support the people of Ukraine. This year, more than 1 million people have received assistance.

Washington Accords

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres greeted The signing of the Washington Peace Accords between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, brokered by the United States of America. He congratulated Presidents Félix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame on this important milestone and commended the efforts of President Donald Trump. The UN chief called on all parties to fulfill their commitments, including the ceasefire stipulated in Security Council resolution 2773 (2025).

Cyclones in Southeast Asia

UN agencies continue to support emergency services in Southeast Asia following devastating cyclones that have claimed more than 1,600 lives since mid-November. According to the latest UNICEF data, more than 4.1 million children in Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia are unable to attend school as usual as a result of the disasters. Nearly 11 million people across the region have been affected, including approximately 1.2 million forced to flee their homes. Roads, utilities, and agricultural land have been damaged.

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The global food price index has fallen for the third month in a row.

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December 5, 2025 Economic development

Global prices of staple foods continued to fall in November, with the exception of cereals, according to data released Friday by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in international quotations for key food commodities, stood at 125.1 points in November, 1.2 percent below its October level. This marks the third consecutive month of decline. It is 2.1 percent below its November 2024 level and 21.9 percent below its peak in March 2022.

Cost of grains

The grain price index rose 1.3 percent. Despite favorable global supply forecasts and good harvests in Argentina and Australia, global wheat prices rose 2.5 percent. This was driven by China's interest in US supplies, ongoing military action in the Black Sea region, and expected reduced sowing in Russia. Corn prices rose due to robust demand for Brazilian supplies, while the rice price index declined amid weak imports of Indian and aromatic rice varieties.

The vegetable oil price index fell 2.6 percent compared to October. The decline in palm, rapeseed, and sunflower oil prices outpaced a moderate rise in soybean oil prices, supported by strong demand from the biofuels sector, particularly in Brazil.

Meat Price Index

The meat price index fell by 0.8 percent. Poultry prices declined due to abundant export supplies and increased competition, fueled by Brazil's efforts to regain market share following the lifting of trade restrictions related to bird flu. Pork prices also fell, primarily due to large inventories in the European Union and reduced demand in China following the imposition of import tariffs. Beef prices remained stable, while lamb prices increased.

Dairy products

The dairy price index fell by 3.1 percent, driven by falling prices for butter and whole milk powder. This trend reflects rising milk production and abundant export supplies in key producing regions.

The sugar price index fell 5.9 percent from October, driven by expectations of strong global supplies this season and strong production figures in Brazil, India and Thailand.

Forecast for the year-end

The FAO also released updated global cereal market forecasts for 2025. Thanks to larger-than-expected wheat harvests, particularly in Argentina, global cereal production will exceed three billion tonnes for the first time, increasing by 4.9 percent to reach 3.003 billion tonnes. Maize and rice production will also increase compared to last year, with the global rice harvest expected to increase by 1.6 percent, driven by increased production in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, and Indonesia.

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The UN chief welcomed the signing of a peace agreement between DR Congo and Rwanda in Washington.

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December 5, 2025 Peace and security

UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the signing of the Washington Peace Accords between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, brokered by the United States.

He congratulated Presidents Felix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame on this important milestone and praised the efforts of President Donald Trump.

"The Secretary-General stressed that these agreements represent a critical step towards restoring trust between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda and advancing efforts to achieve lasting peace in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo," said a statement issued on behalf of the UN chief by his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.

The UN chief also welcomed the significant progress achieved in both the Doha process and the African Union-led process. He called on all parties to fulfill their commitments, including the ceasefire stipulated in Security Council resolution 2773 (2025).

The Secretary-General said the United Nations stands ready to continue to support all efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region.

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WHO: Amid escalating attacks on Ukraine's healthcare system, a maternity hospital in Kherson was hit.

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December 5, 2025 Healthcare

A perinatal center was damaged during the attack on Kherson: walls, windows, doors, equipment, and water and gas systems were damaged. Medical staff, mothers, and newborns were able to find shelter, and there were no injuries, the World Health Organization reported on Friday.

This attack further complicates access to medical care in one of the hardest-hit regions of Ukraine, the WHO warns. Furthermore, according to the UN agency's latest data, more than 40,000 people in Kherson remain without heat and electricity following the attacks.

Between the start of the full-scale Russian invasion and December 5, 2025, the WHO recorded 2,763 attacks on Ukraine's healthcare system. These attacks disrupt medical care and threaten the health and lives of patients and medical workers across the country.

Consequences of attacks on Ukraine's healthcare system

Ukraine is facing a dual crisis: direct attacks on the healthcare system—including medical workers, facilities, and transport—and the consequences of attacks on civilian infrastructure. Interruptions in electricity, water, and heating supplies—especially during the winter months—exacerbate the plight of residents in the affected areas.

This winter, many women in Ukraine will have to give birth in the dark and cold; people recovering from injuries or heart attacks may be forced to stay in cold and damp wards; cancer surgeries will be cancelled due to power and water outages. The WHO estimates that between 150,000 and 250,000 patients in frontline hospitals and maternity wards could be left without heat and electricity.

Increase in the number of attacks

Last year, 73 health workers and patients were killed and another 405 were injured as a result of attacks on the healthcare system. In 2025, 19 deaths and 198 injuries were recorded. According to the WHO, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, 224 health workers and patients have been killed and 896 injured.

More than three-quarters of attacks confirmed by the WHO targeted healthcare facilities, and nearly a quarter targeted transport, including ambulances. This trend has persisted throughout three years of full-scale war, systematically undermining emergency response. This year, the WHO has recorded a 12 percent increase in attacks on healthcare infrastructure compared to last year. No component of the healthcare system remains safe. Tertiary care facilities, pharmacies, and warehouses are also under attack.

In frontline areas, 742 healthcare facilities were damaged or completely destroyed. Vulnerable populations have fewer opportunities to receive timely medical care, and ongoing attacks have forced many healthcare workers to flee the hardest-hit regions.

WHO support

“Attacks on the health system are a clear violation of international humanitarian law,” said WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge.

WHO supports frontline hospitals and mobile medical services in hard-to-reach areas.

In 2025, the organization delivered medical supplies worth $19.42 million to 883 healthcare facilities in Ukraine, and also helped install modular heating systems and alternative energy sources to ensure service continuity.

WHO/Europe is also helping hospitals in the Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Mykolaiv regions prepare for power outages, floods, and attacks.

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A Year of Change in Syria: Hopes for Peace and Justice amid a Challenging Security Situation

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December 5, 2025 Human rights

In a few days, Syria will mark one year since the fall of the Assad regime. The interim authorities have taken encouraging steps to investigate past crimes, but these actions are only a small part of what needs to be done, human rights activists believe.

In a statement released Friday, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said Syria's transitional government has established commissions to address justice issues and clarify the fate of missing persons. However, alarming reports of extrajudicial executions, killings, and abductions continue, primarily targeting members of certain communities and individuals accused of ties to the former government.

Hundreds of people have been killed since the fall of the Assad regime. These killings were carried out by security forces of the interim authorities, groups affiliated with them, and unidentified armed individuals. People also die from landmines and other munitions.

Reports of violations and abuses include evidence of sexual violence, arbitrary detention, looting, home destruction, forced evictions and home confiscations, as well as restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

The violence primarily affected ethnic and religious communities, including Alawites, Druze, Christians, and Bedouins. It was fueled by hate speech, both online and on the streets of Syrian cities, according to the OHCHR statement.

Last year was also marked by Israeli military operations in Syria, including shelling, ground incursions, and the occupation of territory. There were reports of civilian casualties, kidnappings, and house searches.

The integration of armed groups into the new Syrian government's security forces was hasty and lacked proper human rights vetting, according to a statement from the OHCHR. The UN human rights agency believes that such vetting, and reform of the security sector as a whole, is crucial to prevent further violations and ensure that those responsible for serious violations of international law are not integrated into the newly formed security forces.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on the Syrian transitional authorities to take steps to address the root causes of abuses. "Accountability, justice, peace, and security for all Syrians are fundamental prerequisites for a successful political transition," the statement read. "The right of victims to effective remedies and reparations must be fully ensured."

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INTERVIEW | Sudan conflict: UN documents all violations to ensure justice is served

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December 5, 2025 Human rights

In Sudan, the latest round of protracted conflict continues to create dire conditions, worsening the human rights crisis. Human Rights DayOn December 10, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) country representative, Li Fung, spoke to UN News about the scale of the emergency and the efforts of the Organization, its partners and local human rights defenders to assist the Sudanese.

"An extremely difficult period"

"First and foremost, this is a human rights and protection crisis caused by two and a half years of conflict and widespread violations of international humanitarian and human rights law across the country," the UN spokeswoman said.

According to her, the conflict led to the largest humanitarian crisis in the world: mass displacement of populations, destruction of cities and “shocking levels of hunger.”

Accountability and the fight against impunity

OHCHR continues to document most serious violations, including extrajudicial executions, sexual violence, arbitrary detentions and disappearances, attacks on civilian infrastructure, and restrictions on civic space. Of particular concern are ethnically motivated violence and the widespread prevalence of hate speech.

However, restrictions on movement, particularly in Darfur, make documenting violations very difficult.

Many Sudanese fear that those responsible will not be held accountable. However, as the OHCHR representative emphasizes, accountability mechanisms exist and the work continues. The Office records all events to preserve evidence, give a voice to victims, and ensure that this information contributes to accountability processes at the international and national levels.

OHCHR

Li Fung recalled that the Security Council gave the International Criminal Court a mandate to investigate crimes in Sudan. Furthermore, the Human Rights Council established an independent international fact-finding commission to investigate the situation in the country.

But the key remains the development of internal mechanisms for transitional justice.

"We work with human rights defenders and civil society organizations, supporting their vision, their quest for justice, and their transitional justice processes. Our goal is to ensure their voices are heard, their priorities are taken into account, and they form the basis of international efforts to ensure justice and accountability," the OHCHR representative added.

The role of the international community

According to Li Fung, political action and funding for human rights activities are needed to advance dialogue, ensure the protection of civilians, and end the violence. She also called on states to prevent arms transfers to Sudan.

"Impunity fuels further violence and abuse," the human rights activist emphasized.

The international community, she said, must support investigations, ensure access for monitoring mechanisms and the protection of civilians, and ensure the inclusion of all groups in Sudan's population in peace processes.

Hope remains

Despite the grim picture, Li Fung is confident that “there are glimmers of hope – and above all, they come from the Sudanese themselves.”

She recounted her recent trip to Khartoum: "I witnessed remarkable resilience amid the devastation of the capital." Despite "unimaginable hardship," she said, local residents continue to support each other, protect their neighbors, and "insist on their right to live with dignity, despite daily risks and hardships."

OHCHR

A UN official noted that international attention to the situation in Sudan has finally increased – and it is now important to maintain it.

“We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Sudan,” she said, adding that on Human Rights Day and in the final days of the 16 Days of Activism against Violence against Women campaign, the UN also expresses solidarity with Sudanese women facing special threats.

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The UN is increasing medical aid to women and girls in Gaza.

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December 4, 2025 Humanitarian aid

While visiting the Al-Shifa Medical Complex during a tour of Palestine, UNFPA Representative Nestor Owomuhangi said the Fund will increase its support to the people of the Gaza Strip, with a particular focus on providing health services to women and girls.

"We will continue to supply medical equipment and supplies to Gaza, as well as deploy midwives, to ensure that services are provided to pregnant and postpartum women despite the difficult circumstances," Ovomuhangi said.

The Fund currently supports 22 health facilities throughout the Gaza Strip, including five major hospitals.

Footage from Al-Shifa Hospital, filmed during the visit and distributed by UNFPA, demonstrates the scale of destruction to the hospital complex and its infrastructure. Despite the colossal damage to one of the largest hospitals in the sector, Al-Shifa continues to partially function, providing vital medical services.

In recent weeks, UNFPA has expanded its operations in Gaza, coordinating the work of 175 midwives across the Strip and continuing to deliver medicines and medical equipment from around the world to ensure local health facilities can reach all women and girls in Gaza who need support.

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Top Stories of the Day | Thursday: Sudan, Arab States, Sanctions, Malaria

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December 4, 2025 UN

The main news of the day at the UN and around the world: escalating violence in Sudan, extreme weather events in Arab countries, the International Day against Unilateral Coercive Measures, a WHO report on progress in the fight against malaria.

Violence in Darfur and Kordofan

In El Fasher, North Darfur state, Sudan, extrajudicial killings, rapes, and ethnically motivated attacks are taking place. Those who manage to escape the city are also becoming victims of crimes: the roads leading out of El Fasher have become "scenes of unimaginable brutality," stated UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. He also warned of events unfolding in the neighboring region of Kordofan. Violence there is escalating, several towns are under siege, and the number of civilian casualties is rising.

Extreme weather in Arab countries

Temperatures in the Arab region are rising almost twice as fast as the global average. In 2024, the region experienced unprecedented heat, droughts, and severe water shortages, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)'s first report on the state of the climate in the Arab world. Several countries reported temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius last year, while the regional average was 1.08 degrees Celsius higher than the 1991-2020 average. The WMO also notes that only 60 percent of Arab countries have early warning systems for extreme weather events.

Unilateral coercive measures

Today marks the first International Day Against Unilateral Coercive Measures. The General Assembly held an informal meeting to mark the occasion. General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock highlighted the difference between unilateral coercive measures and those provided for in the UN Charter. She called for dialogue and a multilateral approach.

Progress in the fight against malaria

The World Health Organization (WHO) released its annual malaria report on Thursday, noting significant progress in the fight against the disease thanks to the introduction of new tools, from vaccines to innovative mosquito nets. Experts estimate that approximately 170 million malaria infections and at least one million deaths will be averted globally by 2024. The WHO has certified nearly 50 countries, including Georgia, as malaria-free.

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Annalena Baerbock: Unilateral measures would not be necessary if all countries respected the UN Charter

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December 4, 2025 International law

Today marks the first International Day Against Unilateral Coercive Measures. The General Assembly held an informal meeting to mark the occasion. General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock highlighted the key difference between unilateral coercive measures and those provided for in the UN Charter.

"As the name suggests, 'unilateral' measures are taken by one side. And their purpose is to coerce the other side," she said.

She stressed that such steps are fundamentally different from actions taken collectively by the Security Council or regional organizations in accordance with the UN Charter.

According to Baerbock, unilateral coercive measures are not an abstract policy. She cited the Secretary-General's latest report, which describes the consequences of such actions for developing countries and their populations, including food and medical shortages, problems with the delivery of humanitarian aid, economic slowdowns, and rising inflation.

“They [unilateral coercive measures – editor’s note] have a real impact on people’s lives,” the General Assembly Speaker emphasized.

Baerbock noted that the negative effects are felt far beyond the individual countries against which such measures are directed.

“They can also extend beyond their borders, disrupting regional and global supply chains,” the Chair said.

Read also:

UN expert: Unilateral sanctions deprive millions of people of the right to education

Baerbock also emphasized that UN member states agree that any restrictive measures must comply with the Charter of the Organization and international law.

She added: “Such measures and sanctions would not be necessary if all Member States respected the principles of the UN Charter and their obligations under international law.”

Baerbock called for dialogue instead of coercion and a multilateral approach instead of a unilateral one.

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Malaria: Innovations have saved millions of lives, but the global threat remains

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December 4, 2025 Healthcare

The World Health Organization (WHO) released its annual report on Thursday malaria, which notes significant progress in the fight against this disease thanks to the introduction of new tools—from vaccines to innovative mosquito nets. Experts estimate that by 2024, approximately 170 million cases of malaria infection and at least one million deaths will have been averted globally.

Since 2021, when the world's first malaria vaccine was approved, 24 countries have included it in their national immunization programs. Seasonal chemoprophylaxis has been expanded, reaching 54 million children in 2024, up from only 200,000 in 2012. Furthermore, the WHO has certified 47 countries and one territory as malaria-free. Cabo Verde and Egypt will join them in 2024, and Georgia, Suriname, and Timor-Leste will follow in 2025.

Despite these successes, in 2024, 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths were recorded globally. Ninety-five percent of deaths occurred in the WHO African Region, with the majority of deaths occurring in children under five. The mortality rate was 13.8 per 100,000 population, more than triple the global target of 4.5.

Drug resistance and genetic mutations

The WHO warns of growing parasite resistance to key drugs. Additional challenges include genetic mutations in parasites that reduce the accuracy of rapid tests, resistance to pyrethroids in 48 countries, and the spread of the insecticide-resistant Anopheles stephensi mosquito in nine African countries. Climate change and extreme weather events are fueling new outbreaks, while conflict and instability are disrupting health systems.

Funding shortfall

Funding for malaria remains critically low: $3.9 billion was allocated in 2024, less than half the 2025 target. This funding cut has weakened health systems, led to the cancellation or postponement of routine screenings, and increased risk of drug supply disruptions.

"New tools give us hope, but we face significant challenges," said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The World Health Organization is calling on countries where malaria remains endemic to maintain their commitment to combating this dangerous disease.

What you need to know about malaria

Malaria is a life-threatening disease transmitted to humans by certain species of mosquitoes. It occurs primarily in tropical countries.

Infection occurs through a parasite bite. The disease is not transmitted from person to person.

Malaria symptoms range from mild to life-threatening. Mild symptoms include fever, chills, and headache. Severe symptoms include weakness, confusion, seizures, and difficulty breathing.

Infants, children under five years of age, pregnant women, and people with HIV infection or AIDS are at increased risk of severe infection.

Malaria can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites and through medication. Treatment can help stop the further progression of mild cases.

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