Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Sudan
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Central African Republic
– South Asia Floods
– Hurricane Melissa
– International Days
– Senior Appointment
– Mic Browne
SUDAN
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that civilians across the Kordofan region face growing dangers as violence intensifies. Earlier today, the Operational Humanitarian Country Team in Sudan issued a statement condemning in the strongest terms the escalating violence across Kordofan and the ongoing sieges that have cut off multiple cities. OCHA notes that the people in Dilling and Kadugli in South Kordofan State remain trapped, facing extreme hardship, severe restrictions on movement, and limited access to essential services and protection. Famine conditions have been identified in Kadugli, while sustained attacks have been reported in Babanusa, in West Kordofan, State in recent days.
The humanitarian community in Sudan also expressed deep concern over continued attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in the region, noting that the violence is restricting access to food, medicine and essential supplies and limiting farmers’ access to their fields and to markets for their products. This is increasing the risk of famine spreading across the Kordofan states.
The statement urged that all those involved in the fighting to protect civilians, including medical and humanitarian workers, particularly those fleeing besieged areas and local front-line responders delivering life-saving aid wherever they can.
Aid workers in Sudan face extraordinary risks as they work to deliver basic assistance to 1.1 million human beings across the Kordofan region. They require safe, and they requite unimpeded access to reach all those in need.
The humanitarian community in Sudan also stressed that sexual violence, abductions and the recruitment of children must end, and that all civilian sites, including hospitals, shelters, markets must be respected and protected in line with international humanitarian law.
Meanwhile, in North Darfur State, our partners at Save the Children tell us that more than 43,000 people displaced from El Fasher following the escalation of conflict in late October have now arrived in Korma town and Silk camp, placing immense strain on an already a fragile community. An assessment last week in Korma, which is located about 70 kilometres north-west of El Fasher, found critical shortages of food, healthcare, nutrition, water and sanitation services, as well as education and protection.
An OCHA team also visited Korma yesterday, noting that people fleeing violence continue to arrive in the area.
And you will recall, last month, Tom Fletcher, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, also visited Korma, where he heard from survivors who escaped the violence in El Fasher.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that the humanitarian scale-up is well underway, even as insecurity persists, with frequent reports of attacks across the Gaza Strip causing casualties, including among civilians, and of course, causing further destruction.
On Monday, UN partners leading on shelter and protection support distributed critical items to thousands of households, including thousands of winter clothing items, hundreds of bedding kits, tents, tarpaulins and kitchen sets. About 1,100 people were provided with services ranging from psychological support to legal consultations. Also on Monday, UN partners set up 30 activity tents in different locations across Gaza to provide safe spaces where children can access psychosocial support and structured activities.
During November, the UN and its partners distributed monthly food parcels to more than 60 per cent of Gaza’s population. That’s about 1.3 million people out of 2.1 million. The UN is also supporting community kitchens, bread production, and other activities critical to addressing food insecurity.
Throughout last month, UN mine action partners conducted over 130 assessments of explosive hazards across priority humanitarian locations, including warehouses, distribution points, major transport corridors and key infrastructure. This mapping exercise has been essential to enable we and our partners across all sectors to scale up operations based on our plan for the initial period of the ceasefire.
UN mine action partners also continue to educate people, especially children, on how to stay safe around explosive hazards, and they are reaching a lot of people every week doing that.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2025-12-04