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Source: United Nations (video statements)

“Syrians have made great strides since a year ago, but serious obstacles remain,” UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo told the Security Council.

Briefing the Council, she said the Syrian government has restored state institutions, begun integrating armed factions under a single command, issued a constitutional declaration and formed a new cabinet, with indirect legislative elections held in October.

DiCarlo also pointed to shifting international dynamics. “Many countries have lifted bilateral sanctions on Syria,” she said, noting that the US Congress had repealed the Caesar Act and that the Security Council last month adopted resolution 2799, removing designations on President Sharaa and Interior Minister Khattab.

However, she warned that security risks persist, particularly in southern Syria. “Israeli airstrikes and incursions in the south have aggravated the security situation,” DiCarlo said, citing a late-November incursion into the town of Beit Jinn that, according to Syrian authorities, killed 13 people and displaced families. She reiterated the Secretary-General’s call on Israel to refrain from violations of Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMSgN0_UD6Q

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Press conference by Antoine Renard, World Food Programme’s (WFP) Palestine Representative, on the situation in Gaza following his recent visit to the Strip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65e8S4eKiXM

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:

– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Colonialism
– Syria/Security Council
– Sudan
– Haiti
– Venezuela
– Aviation
– International Days
– Guest Today

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that UN agencies and more than 200 international and local non-governmental organizations issued a statement yesterday urging the international community to take immediate and concrete actions to press the Israeli authorities to lift all impediments to NGO operations and humanitarian access across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially in the Gaza Strip.

They warned that restrictive policies – including a new registration system for international NGOs that relies on vague and politicized criteria – are undermining relief efforts and risk the collapse of the humanitarian response.

They also stress that many essential supplies such as food, medicine, hygiene items and shelter materials remain stuck outside Gaza – and that dozens of international NGOs face deregistration and forced closure by year’s end. The loss of NGO capacity would severely disrupt life-saving services including healthcare, nutrition treatment, water and sanitation, and emergency shelter at a time when needs are acute and alternatives cannot fill the gap.

The UN and our partners continue our efforts to scale up assistance across the Gaza Strip despite these challenges, with a focus on providing winter support to mitigate the impact of harsh weather conditions.

Our partners say that since the ceasefire came into effect in mid-October and as of Tuesday, they have distributed multi-purpose cash assistance to nearly 139,000 households, compared with over 40,000 in September.

Each household received digital payments equivalent to about 378 US dollars. Altogether, more than 305,000 households in the Gaza Strip have received at least one payment this year.

Our partners providing education services report that on Tuesday, they distributed hygiene materials to more than 90 temporary learning spaces across the Strip, benefiting nearly 115,000 school-age children. These supplies are particularly critical during the winter rainy season, as they improve sanitation conditions and reduce health risks in overcrowded spaces.

Also on Tuesday, three new temporary learning spaces were established in northern Gaza – two in Gaza City and one in North Gaza governorate – bringing the total number of operational learning spaces across the Strip to more than 400. Several multi-purpose tents were also installed to foster safer learning environments for enrolled students, many of whom are receiving education for the first time.

Finally, our health partners report that constraints affecting the entry into Gaza of emergency medical teams have eased somewhat in recent weeks. Denial rates have fallen to about 20 per cent, compared with 30 to 35 per cent before the ceasefire. There are currently more than 340 emergency medical team staff in Gaza.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2025-12-18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va5uzYN3nUI