Category: 24-7

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: United Nations – United Nations –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

January 1, 2026 UN

UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned amendments to a law passed by the Israeli Knesset that aim to end the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and called for their repeal.

According to a statement issued by the Secretary-General's spokesman, the amendments will hinder UNRWA's "functioning and carrying out its activities."

“The law and its amendments are contrary to UNRWA’s status and the international legal framework applicable to it and must be repealed immediately,” the statement said.

Israel's obligations under the UN Charter

While stressing that UNRWA is an integral part of the United Nations, the Secretary-General recalled Israel's obligations under the UN Charter and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.

"The Convention remains applicable to UNRWA, its property and assets, as well as its officials and other personnel. Property used by UNRWA is inviolable," the statement said.

The UN chief noted that, in accordance with the advisory opinion issued on October 22, 2025, by the International Court of Justice, Israel is obliged to ensure full respect for the privileges and immunities granted to the United Nations, including UNRWA and its personnel, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Guterres said UNRWA plays an indispensable role in providing assistance to Palestinians – in Gaza and elsewhere.

He added that UNRWA's continued operations in Gaza contribute to the effective implementation of Security Council resolution 2803 (2025) and the Comprehensive Plan to End the Conflict in Gaza.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: United Nations – United Nations –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

December 31, 2025 UN

The main news of the day at the UN and around the world: the approval of the UN budget for 2026, heavy rains and a ban on the work of several humanitarian organizations in Gaza, a new WHO study on coronavirus in Europe.

Approval of the UN budget

After several weeks of intensive negotiations and the launch of one of the most important reforms – the UN-80 initiative – The General Assembly approved the UN regular budget The 2026 budget, approved by the 193 UN Member States on Tuesday, covers three key areas of the Organization's work: peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights. While the approved budget is approximately $200 million higher than the Secretary-General's proposed UN80 reform, it is approximately seven percent lower than the 2025 budget.

Ban on NGOs in Gaza

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called it "outrageous" The Israeli authorities' decision to suspend the activities of numerous humanitarian organizations in the Gaza Strip is a serious issue. Thirty-seven non-governmental organizations are reportedly facing the loss of their licenses to operate in Gaza starting January 1. According to Türk, this is yet another illegal restriction on the population's access to humanitarian aid. He called on all countries to take urgent action and ensure that Israel immediately allows unimpeded delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian children killed by heavy rains

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reportsA sixth child has died in the Gaza Strip this month due to harsh living conditions caused by torrential rains. A UNICEF statement indicated that the latest victim was seven-year-old Ata Mai. He drowned on December 27 during a flood in a makeshift camp for internally displaced persons in Sudan, northwest of Gaza City. The UNICEF noted that the extreme winter conditions are exacerbated by the lack of safe shelters.

COVID-19 remains dangerous

Six years ago, on December 31, 2019, the first reports of an unknown pneumonia spreading in Wuhan emerged – thus began the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2023, after more than 6.9 million deaths had been confirmed, the WHO declared the end of the global health emergency. However, the virus itself has not disappeared. Recent research, conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe together with partners from seven countries, show: coronavirus continues to lead to hospitalizations and deaths in the European region. However, the latest vaccines are the most effective way to prevent severe cases of the disease.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: United Nations – United Nations –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

December 31, 2025 Healthcare

Six years ago, on December 31, 2019, the first reports of an unknown pneumonia spreading in Wuhan emerged – thus began the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2023, after more than 6.9 million deaths had been confirmed, the WHO declared the end of the global health emergency. However, the virus itself has not disappeared.

Recent studies conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, together with partners from seven countries, demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 infection continues to lead to hospitalizations and deaths in the European Region. Furthermore, the latest vaccines are the most effective way to prevent severe disease.

COVID-19 remains dangerous

The EuroSAVE network, established in 2021 to monitor the spread of severe respiratory infections, analyzed nearly 4,000 hospitalizations in six countries between May 2023 and April 2024. Nearly 10 percent of the patients studied were infected with COVID-19. More than two-thirds of those infected were over 60 years of age or had chronic health conditions—the very groups the WHO recommends annual booster vaccination. In reality, only 3 percent of patients in these countries had received a vaccination in the previous 12 months.

COVID-19 continues to lead to severe outcomes: 13 percent of patients were admitted to intensive care, and 11 percent died. A comparative study from 2022 to 2024 showed that those hospitalized with COVID-19 were more likely to require oxygen support, intensive care, and had a higher risk of death than patients with the common flu.

High vaccine efficacy

Two other EuroSAVE studies confirmed the high efficacy of existing vaccines. One, based on data from Kosovo, found that receiving the vaccine in the last six months reduced the risk of hospitalization by 72 percent and the risk of severe outcomes by 67 percent. Another study, conducted in six countries, showed a 60 percent reduction in hospitalizations.

WHO emphasizes the importance of annual booster vaccination for older people, patients with chronic diseases and weakened immune systems, pregnant women and health care workers.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: United Nations – United Nations –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

December 31, 2025 Humanitarian aid

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called the Israeli authorities' decision to suspend the activities of numerous humanitarian organizations in the Gaza Strip "outrageous."

Thirty-seven international humanitarian organizations may reportedly lose their licenses to operate in the Gaza Strip starting January 1. These include key UN partners, including the Norwegian Refugee Council, which plays a critical role in running five feeding centers that provide assistance to children with severe malnutrition.

According to Türk, this is the latest in a series of illegal restrictions on the population's access to humanitarian aid, including Israel's ban on the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). He also noted attacks on Israeli and Palestinian NGOs.

"I call on all states, especially those with influence, to take urgent action and ensure that Israel immediately allows unimpeded aid to enter the Gaza Strip," Türk said.

He stressed that such arbitrary decisions to suspend humanitarian operations worsen the already dire situation in which the residents of Gaza find themselves.

"I remind the Israeli authorities that they have an obligation – under international law – to ensure the availability of basic necessities for daily life in Gaza, including by allowing and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid," Türk said.

Six children died due to heavy rains

Meanwhile, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reports that a sixth child has died in the Gaza Strip this month due to harsh living conditions associated with heavy rains.

UNICEF said in a statement that the latest victim was seven-year-old Ata Mai. He drowned on December 27 during a flood in a makeshift camp for internally displaced persons in Sudan, northwest of Gaza City.

The Children's Fund notes that extreme winter conditions are exacerbated by the lack of safe shelters.

"Teams visiting camps for displaced people report appalling conditions that no child should be living in, with many tents blown away or completely destroyed," said UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Begbederon.

Ata lived in a camp of about 40 tents. All his brothers and sisters were under 10 years old, and the family had already lost their mother during the war. UNICEF is currently providing the family with essential assistance, including blankets and tarpaulins.

The Gaza Strip faces a severe housing crisis: more than 1.9 million people are displaced, and only limited shelter materials are reaching the enclave.

Together with its partners, UNICEF is providing support to thousands of affected families. This includes installing temporary water pipes, distributing hygiene supplies, tarpaulins, and blankets, providing access to toilets, cleaning and restoring sewer pipes, clearing storm drains, and protecting tents from flooding.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: United Nations – United Nations –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

December 31, 2025 UN

After weeks of intensive negotiations and the launch of one of the most important reforms – the UN-80 initiative – the General Assembly approved the UN regular budget for 2026 in the amount of $3.45 billion.

The budget, approved by the UN's 193 member states on Tuesday, covers three key areas of the Organization's work: peace and security, sustainable development and human rights.

While the approved budget is approximately $200 million higher than the Secretary-General's proposed UN80 reform, it is approximately seven percent below the 2025 budget.

The UN budget finances the Organization's core activities, including its political and humanitarian aspects, international justice and law, regional development cooperation, human rights, and public information.

The regular budget is separate from the UN peacekeeping budget, which operates on a financial cycle from 1 July to 30 June, while the regular budget follows the calendar year.

A difficult consensus

Addressing delegates at the conclusion of the negotiations of the Fifth Committee, the Assembly's main administrative and budgetary body, UN Comptroller General Chandramouli Ramanathan commended the Committee for having managed to bring the complex and arduous budget process to a timely conclusion.

"It's been a testing year," he said, noting that the Secretariat was tasked with preparing the entire budget in less than six weeks.

Ramanathan emphasized that, despite the often difficult negotiations, the Committee had managed to reach consensus. "This is truly remarkable, and you shouldn't underestimate it," he said, addressing delegates.

Upcoming tasks

The Comptroller General warned that the adoption of the budget marks the beginning, not the end, of a difficult phase of its implementation.

As of January 1, 2026, he noted, 2,900 positions will be eliminated. More than a thousand employee layoffs have already been officially processed. This requires careful consideration and significant administrative effort, as it is necessary to ensure the payment of salaries and benefits to affected personnel during the transition period.

Chandramouli Ramanathan also welcomed the "record level of potential advance payments by Member States" towards the 2026 budget and called for continued timely payment of assessed contributions.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: United Nations – United Nations –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

December 30, 2025 UN

The top news of the day at the UN and around the world: the UN calls for improving the situation for children in crisis zones by 2026; Ukraine has suffered nearly 43 percent of all attacks on healthcare facilities worldwide; sexual violence against children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become systemic; and tens of thousands of children in Sudan's Northern Darfur suffer from acute malnutrition.

Children in armed conflicts

"My place is not in armed conflict." These words from a child in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are addressed to world leaders. They were quoted in a New Year's message by the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Vanessa Fraser. She noted that in 2025, children in conflict zones, including the DRC, Gaza, Haiti, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, and Ukraine, were victims of horrific violations. And in 2024, the highest number of grave violations against children was recorded. Fraser called on the international community to act decisively to improve the situation of children in crisis zones in the coming year.

Ukraine: Attacks on medical facilities

Ukraine's healthcare system continues to suffer as a result of the fighting. Last weekend, a strike damaged a medical facility in the city of Izmail in the Odessa region. Overall, in 2025, Ukraine accounted for nearly 43 percent of all attacks on healthcare facilities worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), attacks on medical personnel and healthcare facilities limit access to essential care, especially in frontline areas where primarily elderly people with chronic illnesses reside.

Violence against children in the DRC

Sexual violence against children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become a "systemic and entrenched crisis" that is rapidly worsening, according to a new report from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Cases of violence are being recorded in all provinces of the country, and their number has increased sharply since 2022. It is estimated that over 35,000 cases of sexual violence against children were recorded in the DRC in the first nine months of 2025 alone. In 2024, this figure reached almost 45,000, tripling the figure two years earlier.

Malnutrition in North Darfur

Data from the latest health survey of children in the Um Baru district of Sudan's North Darfur state shows that more than half of the children there suffer from acute malnutrition, experts from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported today. Many residents of the district are recently displaced families who fled the escalation of fighting in El Fasher in late October. North Darfur remains the epicenter of the crisis in Sudan: by November of this year, nearly 85,000 children in the state had been hospitalized with severe malnutrition. UNICEF calls on all parties to ensure immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access so that civilians can receive the assistance they need.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: United Nations – United Nations –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

December 30, 2025 International law

New legislation passed by the Israeli parliament contravenes international law and undermines the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), as entrusted to it by the UN General Assembly. UNRWA Director-General Philippe Lazzarini made this statement today.

He called yesterday's Israeli parliamentary vote, which resulted in the adoption of new legislation against UNRWA, "an outrageous step." According to Lazzarini, the decision would cut off water, electricity, fuel, and communications to the agency, and empower the Israeli government to expropriate UN property in East Jerusalem, including UNRWA headquarters and its main vocational training center.

He recalled that the International Court of Justice had previously pointed out Israel's obligation to facilitate the agency's activities. Earlier this month, Israeli forces invaded the UNRWA compound In East Jerusalem, the UN flag was torn down and replaced with the Israeli flag. In May, UN schools in East Jerusalem were forcibly closed, depriving hundreds of Palestinian refugee children of their right to education.

Lazzarini described the developments as part of a "systematic campaign to discredit UNRWA" and stressed that the agency continues to play an indispensable role in providing assistance to Palestinian refugees, particularly in Gaza, where UNRWA "is the backbone of the entire international humanitarian operation."

The Commissioner-General also warned of the broader implications of the legislation, saying it sets a dangerous precedent for other conflict situations.

"Failure to adequately respond to attempts to intimidate and undermine UN activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory will ultimately jeopardize humanitarian and human rights work worldwide," the UNRWA chief said.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: United Nations – United Nations –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

December 30, 2025 Peace and security

Ukraine's healthcare system continues to suffer as a result of the fighting. Last weekend, a strike damaged a medical facility in Izmail, Odessa Oblast. Overall, Ukraine accounted for nearly 43 percent of all attacks on healthcare facilities worldwide in 2025.

Between January 1 and December 29, 2025, the country experienced 561 of the 1,320 attacks on healthcare facilities, staff, patients, warehouses, transport, and supplies recorded in the World Health Organization (WHO) global monitoring system. These attacks resulted in the deaths of 19 people and the injury of another 201. The attacks undermine access to healthcare, particularly in frontline areas, where many of the remaining residents are elderly and have underlying health conditions.

Interruptions in heating and electricity supply

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), between December 26 and 29, attacks on Ukrainian territory continued to cause civilian casualties and extensive damage to infrastructure. As a result, electricity, heating, and water supplies were disrupted in several areas of the country amid falling temperatures.

According to Ukrainian authorities, nearly 100 civilian deaths and injuries were recorded across the country during this period. The most serious consequences of the attacks were observed in Kyiv. As a result, large-scale attack on December 27 Several people were killed and dozens were injured. Power facilities, residential buildings, a kindergarten, a university dormitory, cars, stores, and other civilian facilities were damaged. According to the local energy company, more than one million households in Kyiv and the surrounding area were left without power. About a third of the city's population—approximately three million people—were left without heat, and water supply outages were also reported.

Although power was subsequently restored to nearly 750,000 households in Kyiv and around 350,000 in the Kyiv region, emergency and scheduled outages continue, and heating and electricity supplies remain partially disrupted.

Similar consequences of the attacks were recorded in other regions of Ukraine. Civilians in the Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Sumy regions suffered as a result of the wave of strikes. Energy infrastructure facilities, educational institutions, and local businesses were damaged.

Humanitarian aid

These incidents reflect the ongoing pattern of attacks on energy facilities in densely populated urban areas, disrupting critical services, including electricity and heating. Restoration efforts are hampered by the threat of further attacks.

Meanwhile, humanitarian workers mobilized emergency assistance in the affected areas, particularly in Kharkiv, Kyiv, and the Kyiv region. This support included first aid and psychosocial services, distribution of hot meals, repair materials, and other essential items to affected families. Special points were set up where people could stay warm, receive food, charge mobile phones, and receive other assistance. Legal support was also provided to restore lost documents and file compensation claims for damaged or destroyed property.

Additionally, on December 27, humanitarian agencies delivered 15 emergency heaters to the Kherson region. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) provided a diesel generator to a children's medical facility in the Odesa region.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.