Category: 27-7

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: United Nations – United Nations –

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December 17, 2025 Humanitarian aid

Aid operations in Gaza could be on the brink of collapse unless Israel immediately lifts restrictions blocking the activities of international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), UN humanitarian agencies working in the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT) have warned.

In a statement released Tuesday, a humanitarian group representing UN agencies and more than 200 local and international organizations called on the international community to lift measures that hinder their work in the OPT, particularly in the Gaza Strip.

We are talking about registration system for international non-governmental organizations, introduced earlier this year.

Imperfect system

According to the statement, the registration process is politicized, poorly defined, and impossible to implement without violating humanitarian principles. Dozens of organizations risk losing their registration by the end of December and could then be forced to close within weeks.

The work of these institutions is vital for the people of Gaza, humanitarian agencies emphasize. International NGOs, working with the UN and local partners, provide approximately $1 billion in aid annually throughout the OPT.

Loss of important functions

Humanitarian organizations stressed that the impact of the closure of international NGOs cannot be mitigated by the UN or local groups, especially in the context of Israeli restrictions imposed on the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

According to the humanitarian group, international NGOs support much of Gaza's basic infrastructure. They operate field hospitals and medical centers, provide clean water and sanitation, provide emergency shelter, and treat children suffering from severe malnutrition.

Medical facilities will be closed

If international NGOs leave the Strip, almost every third medical facility in Gaza will close immediately, leaving tens of thousands of patients without care.

Humanitarian officials stated that they had repeatedly raised these concerns with Israeli authorities and sought viable solutions to maintain operations. However, the situation has not changed, and the NGO's closure now appears inevitable.

The agencies stressed that humanitarian access is an obligation under international law, not a political choice.

Humanitarian leaders called on Israel to facilitate the rapid and unimpeded delivery of aid and ensure independent and safe conditions for operations. Without swift action, they warned, the consequences for Gaza's civilians would be catastrophic. "Vital aid must be made available to Palestinians without further delay," the statement read.

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.

Polina Kubyak

December 17, 2025 Economic development

Shipping goods around the world could soon become cheaper, faster, and significantly more flexible thanks to the adoption of a new UN-sponsored agreement. It aims to streamline documentation for international shipping.

UN Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents For the first time, it introduces a single standard that can be used for rail, road and air transport and allows for logistical changes to be made to cargo already in transit.

This means that valuable cargo can be sold, redirected, or used to obtain financing during the long haul, not just before loading.

"This is a real breakthrough for international trade," said Anne Joubin-Bret, Secretary-General of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), who has been coordinating the negotiations for three years.

From Brazil to Azerbaijan

Today, negotiable transport documents are mainly used in maritime transport, which can last for weeks. Commodities such as oil or cocoa are often resold several times right at sea, as prices fluctuate.

At the same time, cargo transported by road, rail, or air is typically issued to a single buyer and with a single destination, which limits the range of possible solutions and access to financial instruments.

James Hookham, director of the Global Shippers Forum, gave a hypothetical example of the movement of commodities from a supplier in Brazil to a subsidiary in Paraguay.

"Market conditions change," he explained. "While goods are in transit, which can take several days, a buyer may appear who is willing to pay a higher price elsewhere."

According to him, under the new system, such cargo could be sold, for example, to a buyer in Azerbaijan, with the destination changed during transportation.

"It's almost like crossing out the address on an envelope after the letter has been sent," Hookham added.

Goods destined for Paraguay by sea could be flown to Istanbul and then sent on to Azerbaijan – something that is impossible under the current restrictions.

A wide range of benefits

Such flexibility is becoming increasingly necessary as new trade corridors open – through Central Asia, between China and Europe, and across Africa – often with routes serving landlocked countries.

The new Convention, according to Hookham, "means cargo isn't rejected simply because the transaction period has expired," especially in the face of a growing number of factors disrupting international trade. He noted the negative impact recent instability, related to tariffs, unexpected extreme weather events – such as the recent outages in the Caribbean due to Hurricane Melissa, – as well as with the seizure of cargo in the Red Sea.

The Convention aims to reduce risks for banks and carriers by establishing clear legal rules determining who owns cargo at any given time. This certainty makes banks more willing to finance transactions and helps carriers avoid disputes related to cargo being delivered to the wrong party.

"If Plan A doesn't work for you or is too expensive, this is an alternative," Hookham emphasized.

Who will sign the agreement?

The Convention will be particularly important for developing countries and landlocked states, and will help them integrate more deeply into the global trading system and reduce costs.

African and Central Asian countries, as well as major trading powers, have already expressed interest in the agreement, including China, which initiated the process at the UN back in 2019. The negotiations, which included extensive consultations, are an example of "effective multilateral cooperation," Anna Joubin-Bret emphasized.

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution supporting the Convention on December 15. The signing ceremony is scheduled for the second half of 2026 in Accra, Ghana. The treaty will enter into force once it is ratified by ten states.

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 17, 2025 Humanitarian aid

Imagine living in a war zone and unable to cook or heat your home. For tens of thousands of Ukrainians, this is the reality today: UN Humanitarian Coordinator Matthias Schmale reported that half of the city of Kherson's population – 30,000 or more people – have been without electricity for several days.

Kherson isn't the only city without power, he said in an interview with the UN News Service on Wednesday during his trip to southern Ukraine. "The main problem is how to support people when the power is out for several days in a row, or even more than a week, as is currently happening, for example, in Odesa," he noted.

"The authorities are fairly confident they can handle a power outage lasting a few hours or even a couple of days. But outages lasting more than a week pose significant challenges," Shmale added.

© UKGV

Matthias Schmale with an elderly resident of Kherson.

According to the UN Coordinator, to overcome the energy crisis, it is necessary to provide schools and health facilities with generators and sufficient fuel supplies so that people can gather there in the event of a crisis.

"Almost everything is destroyed"

On Wednesday, Matthias Schmale visited frontline Kherson and met with residents at the UN humanitarian hub where people come to seek aid. One woman, a power plant employee, told him she was afraid to go to work because of the shelling of energy facilities.

She says there are only five houses left on her street where people still live, and "almost everything is destroyed." But she has no plans to leave.

© UKGV

A woman came to the UN humanitarian hub for help.

"I don't even think about it. My house, my dogs, my cats. The neighbors left after their houses were damaged. They left their dog for a week. They've been gone for three years," she said.

Another woman the Humanitarian Coordinator met with said she was from the island district of Kherson and lived without gas—she had no way to heat her home or cook. Ten days ago, her mother died in the hospital after stepping on a mine. Six months earlier, her husband was killed in Mykolaiv while riding public transportation during a drone attack.

Remembering everyone she had lost, the woman burst into tears and said she was afraid she would never be able to return home.

"I prefer to smile than to cry."

"Kherson used to be a very industrial city, but that's no longer the case," said another retiree. In her youth, she worked manufacturing meteorological instruments for marine vessels.

Matthias Schmale noted her sense of humor, despite the difficult circumstances. "I prefer smiling to crying. I've had enough time to cry," she replied.

“I just want to go home and die,” the woman added with bitterness in her voice.

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 17, 2025 UN

The top news of the day at the UN and around the world: the Secretary-General warned of the risks of escalating conflict in Yemen, fighting in Sudan, a new strain of the flu virus, and the consequences of Cyclone Ditwa in Sri Lanka.

The situation in Yemen

Tensions in Yemen: António Guterres, speaking to journalists in New York after his briefing on the situation in the country for the Security Council, said unilateral actions, such as the recent advance of forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council in the eastern provinces, "increase the risk of wider escalation and further fragmentation." The UN chief recalled that the parties to the conflict had already come close to peace in 2022 and 2023, but subsequent events "have seriously complicated the situation." Nevertheless, he emphasized, "peace is possible."

Crisis in Sudan

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is warning of growing humanitarian needs in Sudan as civilians continue to flee fighting in the Kordofan region. The International Organization for Migration estimates that more than 9.3 million people remain internally displaced in 18 states across the country. Many are at risk of starvation. Furthermore, the World Health Organization has expressed concern that more than 70 health workers and approximately 5,000 civilians have reportedly been forcibly detained in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state.

Flu season

The flu season in Europe and Central Asia has started much earlier than usual, with the spread of the infection being facilitated by the emergence of new dominant strain of the virusA number of countries are experiencing significant strain on their healthcare systems. Vaccination remains the most important measure to prevent severe influenza, especially for high-risk groups such as the elderly, people with chronic illnesses, children, pregnant women, and healthcare workers. The WHO recommends staying home if you feel unwell, wearing a mask in public places if you have respiratory symptoms, covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, washing your hands regularly, and ventilating your indoor spaces more frequently.

Cyclone in Sri Lanka

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) today appealed for $7.3 million to support more than 100,000 people affected by Cyclone Ditwa in Sri Lanka. The storm forced more than 280,000 people from their homes, damaging or destroying more than 81,000 shelters. The UN agency is calling for urgent support for families facing continued displacement and disrupted access to essential services.

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.