Security Council Briefing by Lisa Doughten, Director of Financing and Outreach Division, Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on the humanitarian situation in Syria
OCHA’s Lisa Doughten spoke on behalf of Tom Fletcher, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
Doughten said, “We continue to prioritize the response in Suweida and neighbouring governorates, working with Syrian authorities and affected communities to provide assistance and basic services.”
She added, “We have reached 357,000 people per month, sending over 1,300 aid trucks and working with a range of partners, including 25 national NGOs.”
The OCHA official also noted that more than 1.2 million refugees have now returned from neighbouring countries since last December. More than 1.9 million people who were displaced internally have also returned.
“But these people still need support to reestablish their lives, including – in the immediate term – humanitarian aid,” Doughten emphasized.
On funding, the OCHA official stressed, “with just over a month left in the year, our Syria appeal is only 26 per cent funded, leading to continued gaps and reductions in critical assistance.”
“Our partners are currently seeking to assist 2 million vulnerable people with winter supplies, including heating fuel and stoves, winter clothing, blankets and other household items. But just 12 per cent of the funding has been mobilized,” she added.
The United Nations has unveiled the “Flower of Srebrenica” memorial, honoring the victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide. Gifted by Bosnia and Herzegovina, this powerful symbol serves as a space for remembrance, reflection, and learning for all who visit.
The memorial stands beside another significant site at UN Headquarters — the Kwibuka flame, which commemorates the victims and survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
As Denis Bećirović, Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stated: “The monuments to the genocide committed in the heart of Europe and in the heart of Africa are witness to the truth, but also warn humanity to never again allow genocide to be repeated.”
This video explores the meaning behind these memorials, the history they represent, and why remembering past atrocities is essential to preventing future ones.
On World Children’s Day, powerful testimonies from Gaza reveal the deep trauma young people are facing after more than two years of war. This year, children are marking the day amid destruction, displacement, and ongoing hardship.
According to the United Nations, over 90% of children in Gaza are now showing signs of severe stress and aggressive behavior, driven by the loss of safety and stability. Humanitarian workers warn that the road to recovery will require long-term, sustained support to help children heal from the psychological impact of the conflict.
This video sheds light on their stories—and the urgent need for protection and mental-health support for Gaza’s youth.
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
– G20 Summit meeting
– COP30
– Haiti
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Ukraine
– CYPRUS
– SUDAN
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– UN80
– World Children’s Day
– Financial Contribution
SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT
The Secretary-General will be heading today to the annual G20 Summit meeting.
At the meeting, hosted by the Republic of South Africa in Johannesburg from 22 to 23 November, the Secretary-General will address three sessions. The first one is titled, “Inclusive and sustainable economic growth leaving no one behind: Building our economies; the role of trade; financing for development and the debt burden”; and the second one is titled, “A resilient world – the G20’s contribution: Disaster risk reduction; climate change; just energy transitions; food systems”. The last session will be on "A fair and just future for all: Critical minerals; decent work; artificial intelligence”.
While in Johannesburg, the Secretary-General will also hold bilateral meetings with a number of leaders attending the G20. Tomorrow, Friday, at 5 pm, local time, he will speak with the media ahead of the G20. The press conference will be live on UN Web TV.
From South Africa, the Secretary-General will head to Luanda, for an official visit to Angola, which celebrated its 50th anniversary just last week. During the visit, the National Assembly will hold a Special Session to hear an address by the Secretary-General.
While in the capital, Luanda, the Secretary-General will also participate in the 7th session of the African Union-European Union Summit. He will hold a bilateral meeting with the President of the Republic of Angola, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, and will also meet other leaders attending the Summit.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/COP30
This morning, at his press encounter at COP30 in Belém, the Secretary-General said that over the past days, he has met with world leaders, ministers, negotiators, Indigenous Peoples, civil society, and young people from every region, and one thing is clear: We are down to the wire, and the world is watching Belém.
The Secretary-General pointed out that communities on the frontlines are watching too, counting flooded homes, failed harvests, lost livelihoods, and asking: how much more must we suffer?
The Secretary-General strongly appealed to all delegations to show willingness and flexibility to deliver results that protect people and keep 1.5 degrees alive. No delegation will leave Belém with everything it wants, he said, but every delegation has a duty to reach a balanced deal.
His full remarks have been shared with you.
Also this morning, the Secretary-General met with the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India, Shri Bhupender Yadav, as well as with the Minister for Climate Change and Energy of the Commonwealth of Australia, Chris Bowen MP.
Yesterday afternoon, he had meetings with Ministers from the group of Least Developed Countries and with the Group of 77 and China Ministers. The Secretary-General also met, separately, the Minister of Environment and Energy security of Italy, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, the Minister of France for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity and International Negotiations on climate and nature, Monique Barbut, the Secretary of State for Climate of Poland, Krzystof Bolesta, and the German Federal Minister for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Carsten Schneider.
HAITI
From Haiti, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that as the country continues to see alarming levels of gender-based violence, survivors and those at risk have very limited access to the essential support they need. This is due to insecurity, access challenges and funding shortfalls.
Between January and September, over 7,400 cases of gender-based violence were reported in Haiti – an average of about 27 per day, according to our partners.
Sexual violence made up just over half of the cases, (about 3,700) and with nearly two thirds of these involving gang rape (about 2,500). Two out of every three victims were displaced people.
During the same period, our humanitarian partners were able to reach only 7 per cent of the 833,000 people we aim to reach with specialized support to address gender-based violence this year – or just over 54,000 people in total.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight
UN Secretary-General António Guterres speaks to the press at the COP30 climate conference in Belém, Brazil, as negotiations on the conference outcome are in the final stages.
Security Council briefing by Najat Rochdi, Deputy Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, on the situation in Syria.
Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Najat Rochdi told the Council that her recent visit to Damascus drove home the sheer scale of the challenges and the need for a genuinely inclusive political transition process in the country.
The Deputy Special Envoy for Syria spoke to the Council via video link from Oslo.
Rochdi said that resolution 2799 reiterated the Council’s full respect for the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Syria. Yet Israeli military operations and incursions into Syrian territory continue, in grave violation of Syria’s sovereignty and of international law.
She called for Israel’s violations to cease and for adherence to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. And I appeal to the Security Council to assume its responsibilities in this regard.
Rochdi also pointed out that tensions, lawlessness and some violence persist in several areas, with sporadic exchanges of fire between forces on frontlines. Tensions and violence have continued in Deir-ez-Zor, despite the best efforts of the leaderships to implement the nationwide ceasefire; and also on the margins of Suweida, where serious clashes have taken place.
She reiterated, “Security fragility is a reminder that lasting peace in Syria depends on comprehensive security sector reform and credible programs of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.”
On the political front, the Deputy Special Envoy highlighted that the drafting of a permanent constitution is “a foundational task.”
She said, “The act of defining a new social contract among Syrians must be a source of peace and unity.”
Equally, Rochdi added, “the free and fair elections that are to follow that new constitution will require significant advance planning and early engagement from now, given the institutions and infrastructure that must be rebuilt after so many years of conflict and authoritarian rule.”
The Deputy Special Envoy encouraged all parties to “take tangible steps forward, particularly initial confidence-building measures, especially on detainees and abductees and the restoration of state services.”
“Any framework for reintegrating Suweida needs to uphold Syria’s sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity, and address the very real anxieties felt by the Druze regarding their safety, human rights, and inclusion in Syria’s political future – as well as those of Bedouin communities,” she concluded.
Launched in 2023, the Network for Uniformed Women Peacekeepers connects women from police, military, and justice & corrections serving in United Nations peace operations. Two years into the project, the Network has meaningfully enhanced the deployment experience for uniformed women peacekeepers and also brought about broader strategic benefits for peacekeeping overall. When women thrive, teams perform better, and in the end, everyone benefits for better peacekeeping.
More info: https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/women-peacekeeping
More info on the Network: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwLrnz-YQ7k
Press Briefing by Mr. Bjørg Sandkjær, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), along with Mr. John Wilmoth, Director, Population Division, UN DESA, and Ms. Sara Hertog, Population Affairs Officer, Population Division, UN DESA. They brief journalists on the World Urbanization Prospects 2025: Summary of Results.
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“Fast-growing Dhaka, Bangladesh, will surpass Jakarta to become the world’s largest city by 2050,” The United Nations on Tuesday unveiled its World Urbanization Prospects 2025, outlining how population growth and shifting settlement patterns will reshape cities, towns and rural areas over the coming decades.
Bjørg Sandkjær, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) emphasized that “sustainable development requires integrated planning that treats cities, towns and rural areas as interconnected and interdependent,” adding that policies must “recognize the unique role of all settlement types” and be tailored to their specific needs.
She also underscored the importance of data-driven decision-making. “Timely and reliable data are going to effective planning,” she said, noting that regular censuses and the integration of geospatial and statistical information can enable better monitoring of settlement patterns and access to services.
Indicators tracking population density and built-up land per capita, she added, “provide useful information about human interactions with the environment.”
John Wilmoth, Director of the Population Division, said the release provides estimates and projections based on a new standard methodology called the Degree of Urbanization, which maps population data into one-square-kilometer grid cells and classifies all land areas into seven categories ranging from mostly uninhabited rural areas to densely populated cities.
Sara Hertog, a Population Affairs Officer with DESA, detailed the report’s latest demographic findings. “In 2025, 45 per cent of the world’s 8.2 billion people live in cities, 36 per cent live in towns, and the remaining 19 per cent live in rural areas,” she said.
By 2050, “two thirds of the growth of the world’s population will occur in cities,” with most of the rest happening in towns. The global rural population, she noted, is expected to peak in the 2040s before gradually declining.
Hertog added that “cities have more people than either towns or rural areas in 104 countries or areas,” representing nearly half of all locations for which UN estimates were produced.
She also highlighted the concentration of mega-cities in Asia. “Jakarta, Indonesia, with nearly 42 million inhabitants, is the world’s most populous city today,” she said, but projections indicate that “fast-growing Dhaka, Bangladesh, will surpass Jakarta to become the world’s largest city by 2050.”
The UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has been supporting mine action activities throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) since 2009. Since the escalation of hostilities on 7 October 2023, UNMAS operations have considerably evolved to adapt to the emerging needs of local populations and humanitarian partners in both Gaza and the West Bank.
As the lead humanitarian coordinating body for mine action response in Gaza, UNMAS supports humanitarian partners by assessing explosive ordnance threats and providing guidance to enable safe humanitarian operations. In ceasefire periods, UNMAS supports early recovery efforts, as mine action is critical for reconstruction tasks like debris and rubble removal. UNMAS also collaborates with local and international partners to deliver explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) to civilians, promoting safe behaviours.
A production with support from the European Union.
