Ukraine: No Ceasefire in Sight — UN Coordinator Matthias Schmale on Rising Civilian Risks

Source: United Nations (video statements)

As the war in Ukraine continues with no ceasefire in sight, civilians face mounting risks amid ongoing strikes and harsh winter conditions. Matthias Schmale, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, describes the deepening challenges for communities and outlines how UN agencies and partners are supporting people through winterization efforts.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Piej5t86VPc

In the Ruins of a Maternity Hospital, Gaza’s Mothers Still Find Care

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Reporting from the war-torn maternity hospital at Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City, Nestor Owomuhangi, UNFPA representative in Palestine, says the agency is working to keep maternity care alive amid the ruins. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the UN agency responsible for reproductive health worldwide, supporting safe childbirth, maternal care and services for women and girls. Despite the destruction of hospitals across the Gaza Strip, UNFPA continues to deliver medicines and equipment and deploy trained midwives, ensuring that women in Gaza can still access essential maternity services even in the most difficult conditions.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uFRSIvk3zY0

Attorney General Bondi, FBI Director Patel Announce Arrest in January 6 Pipe Bomb Case

Source: United States Department of Justice (video statements)

Brian J. Cole, Jr., 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was arrested this morning and charged for transporting and planting two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on January 5, 2021, at the headquarters of both the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee in Washington D.C., announced Attorney General Pamela Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Cole is charged in a complaint unsealed today with transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce with the intent to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual or unlawfully to damage or destroy any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property. He is also charged with attempted malicious destruction by means of fire and explosive materials.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wle5ODXDEIw

Sudan, Occupied Palestinian Territory & other topics – Daily Press Briefing | United Nations

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULWmFc0truo

ICC ICC Office of the Prosecutor’s Policy on Addressing Environmental Damage through the Rome Statute

Source: International Criminal Court (video statements)

On 4 December 2025, the #ICC Office of the Prosecutor launched its Policy on Addressing Environmental Damage through the #RomeStatute, on the sidelines of the Assembly of States Parties in The Hague #ASP24.

The new policy addresses the environmental dimension of crimes within #ICC jurisdiction, such as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

Environmental exploitation and degradation can be both a driver and a consequence of #RomeStatute crimes.

Read: https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/policy-addressing-environmental-damage-through-rome-statute

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYNjDpea6Mo

UK Meet Our Makers: The Story Behind Wild & Fruitful Preserves 🍓 | Made in Cumbria

Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)

Meet our Makers… 🧑‍🍳

Discover the story behind Wild and Fruitful, a family-run business in Keswick dedicated to crafting preserves with care, tradition, and locally sourced ingredients 🍓

From jams and marmalades inspired by Cumbrian tradition, to exploring flavours from further afield, founder Jake Winter brings passion and authenticity to every jar.

📍Made in Cumbria. Stocked in Parliament.

👉 Discover the range: https://www.shop.parliament.uk/pages/meet-the-makers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLI3F0dwpKU

Palestine, LebanonIsrael & other topics – Daily Press Briefing | United Nations

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:

-Occupied Palestinian territory
-Lebanon/Israel
-Sudan
-Mozambique
-Myanmar
-Migrants and refugees/Latin America and the Caribbean
-International day of persons with disabilities
-Guest tomorrow

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) continues to receive reports that air strikes, shelling, gunfire and other Israeli military operations are causing more civilian casualties, displacement and destruction in Gaza. In recent days, hundreds of families were reportedly displaced in the At Tufah and Ash Shuja’iyyeh neighbourhoods in eastern Gaza city, following strikes and movement of military machinery.
The UN and its partners continue to provide assistance to people in need across the Strip wherever we can have access. The UN healthcare partners report that six additional healthcare service points have opened since Sunday.
Yesterday in Rafah, a team from the World Health Organization(WHO) also managed to reach the European Hospital, which remains non-operational, to move some vital equipment to functioning healthcare facilities.
However, attempts to gain access to Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza continue to be denied by the Israelisecurity authorities.
WHO reported that the agency facilitated the referral and transfer of the first patient to the Emirati Field Hospital since before last year’s Rafah incursion, which had rendered the facility inaccessible. The hospital is the only functioning medical facility serving the Rafah area.
Preparations for winter are a key priority for the UN and our partners, and we continue to deliver shelter supplies and other critical items to the most vulnerable households. Since Sunday, some 4,400 families received tents, tarpaulins, blankets, winter clothing and kitchen sets across Gaza through UN-coordinated deliveries.
In addition, UN partners managing displacement sites report that work is ongoing to help prepare suitable locations for those seeking to leave high-risk areas, including shoreline communities.
In Khan Younis, an estimated 4,000 households live along the coast, with some 1,000 at especially high risk due to their proximity to the water line. Some of these families have reportedly started to relocate to the two sites identified as being safe by the localmunicipality.
In the ongoing effort to improve access to water and sanitation, our partners report that 42 truckloads of debris have been cleared over the past 48 hours to reach the Al Amal, Tel al Dhahab and Asian wells in Beit Lahiya, in North Gaza. Repairs are expected to begin soon.
In the meantime, UN partners working to reduce risks of explosive ordnance warn that unexploded remnants of war continue to pose a threat to civilians. Over the past week, they were able to carry out 50 assessments across Gaza to help lower the risks for aid workers. Just last week, six people were reportedly killed and 10 others injured in two incidents involving explosive ordnance in Gaza City and Deir al Balah.
OCHA continues to call for unimpeded, safe and sustained access for humanitarian workers and supplies to reach people in need. Impediments must be lifted to allow teams to scale up the delivery of humanitarian assistance faster and more efficiently. Civilians must always be protected, and safe passage must be ensured for those wishing to flee. They must also be allowed to return to areas should they wish to.

LEBANON/ISRAEL
Today, UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) hosted the fourteenth meeting of the five parties cessation of hostilities mechanism at its headquarters in Naqoura.
Chaired by the United States with the support of France, the meeting saw for the first time the participation of delegations of Israel and Lebanon included civilian representatives which marks a significant step forward and we look forward to continued momentum in that front.
The Office of the Special Coordinator for Lebanon was also present in the meetings.

Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2025-12-03

Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Website: https://www.un.org/sg/en/spokesperson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMT4Ip0djdo