Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.

Just a scheduling announcement. I am briefing today. I will brief on Monday, and then, unless there is breaking news, we will suspend briefings from Tuesday onwards until the first Monday of January, which is the 5^th. But the office will be staffed and we will put [updates from the UN system] in the highlights.

And of course, if there is breaking news, there will be briefings.

**Yemen Statement

I will start off with a statement on Yemen.

The Secretary-General strongly condemns the arbitrary detention on 18 December of a further 10 United Nations personnel by the Houthi de facto authorities, bringing the total number of detained UN staff to 69.

These detentions render the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Houthi-controlled areas untenable. This directly affects millions of people in need and limits their access to life-saving assistance.

The Secretary-General calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained personnel from the United Nations, but also from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), from civil society and from diplomatic missions. Mr. [António] Guterres calls on the Houthis to rescind the referral of UN personnel for prosecution. He further calls for the respect of international law, including the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and its personnel, which are essential to enabling humanitarian action in a secure and principled environment.

The Secretary-General and the UN will continue our sustained efforts with Member States and with the Security Council, as well as through direct engagement with the Houthis, to secure the release of all detained UN colleagues. Mr. Guterres stands in solidarity with the affected families of those detained and the communities in Yemen.

**Sudan/Kadugli

Turning to the situation in Kadugli. You will recall that a few days ago, we paid tribute to six of our UN peacekeepers who were killed on Saturday in a drone attack on their camp in Kadugli, in South Kordofan. They were part of UNISFA, the UN peacekeeping force for Abiyei. Their remains today departed our UN logistics base in Entebbe [Uganda] for their home country, Bangladesh. And I can now share their names and ages: The six were 37-year-old Corporal Muhammed Masud Rana; Private Muhammed Sabuj Mia, aged 29; Private Muhammed Jahangir Alam, also aged 29; Private Santo Mondol, who was 26 years old; Private Shamin Reza, who was 28 years old; and Private Muhammed Mominul Islam, who was 35 years old.

We once again send our deepest condolences to their families, to their colleagues, to the Government and people of Bangladesh.

We also reiterate that attacks against UN peacekeepers are not only unacceptable, but they may constitute a war crime. Accountability in this case and all other cases must prevail.

Meanwhile, we can also confirm that eight of the nine injured peacekeepers in Saturday's attack are receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Nairobi, in Kenya, where they are recovering. One peacekeeper has been discharged from the Mission's own medical facility in Abyei after receiving needed treatment.

**South Sudan

Now turning to South Sudan and another grim piece of news: I can tell you that we are deeply shocked and we condemn the killing of a staff member from the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Mr. Bol Rhoch Mayol Kuot was detained by security personnel from South Sudan on 15 December, and he had been detained since 15 December. The Mission was actively engaging authorities to locate him and secure his safe release. We mourn his loss and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, loved ones, and colleagues.

The killing of United Nations personnel is, of course, unacceptable, and we call for an immediate, thorough, and transparent investigation to ensure that those responsible can be held to account.

**Bangladesh

I have been asked about the current situation in Bangladesh, and I can tell you that the Secretary-General condemns the killing of a youth protest leader, Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, and extends his condolences to his family.

He calls on the authorities to conduct a prompt, an impartial, a thorough and transparent investigation, in line with international human rights standards.

The Secretary-General calls for calm and urges all concerned to refrain from violence, reduce tensions and exercise maximum restraint in order to preserve a peaceful electoral environment as the country heads to elections in February.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

I think you heard from the Secretary-General this morning on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. He spoke about the latest report from the IPC [Integrated Phase Classification system] on food security in Gaza. He was pleased to share that famine has been pushed back in Gaza, with far more families able to access food. But he did point out that these gains remain very fragile.

1.6 million people in Gaza - that is more than 75 per cent of the population - are still projected to face extreme levels of acute food insecurity and critical malnutrition. The brutal winter storms are worsening these numbers, with vital infrastructure from hospitals to bakeries to water and sanitation services all struggling to operate.

In the midst of this, we continue our work. We have prepared more than 1.5 million hot meals every day, we have supported bakeries, we supported the rehabilitation of hospitals, we vaccinated children, we have cleared rubble and restored water lines, as well as providing tents, blankets and clothing.

But need is growing faster than aid can get in, and the Secretary-General reiterated that the only lasting solution is a durable ceasefire.

He drew attention to the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) Advisory Opinion of 22 October 2025, which made clear Israel is under the obligation to allow and facilitate humanitarian aid, and cooperate with the United Nations in carrying out our mandates, and to respect the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and its personnel.

He also reiterated his support for UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency), which plays an indispensable role in serving the Palestinian people, in Gaza, the West Bank, and across the region.

To give you a bit more details about the latest IPC report: about 1.6 million people are still expected toface high levels of acute foodinsecurity through mid-April of next year. That includes about 1,900people in Gaza who would facecatastrophic hunger; that's what we call IPCPhase 5, the highest level. More than 570,000 people would faceemergency levels; that is Phase 4.

The report projects thatthrough mid-October of next year, more than100,000 children under 5, as well as 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women, will need treatment for acute malnutrition.

The IPC said thatno child meets the minimum dietary diversity standard, and two thirds of children are suffering from severe food poverty.

The onset of winter and related diseases, combined with poor sanitation and hygiene conditions and limited access to safe and diverse foods, onlyincrease vulnerability to malnutrition.

Meanwhile, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said today that since the onset of the ceasefire, it has collected the equivalent of 8,000 truckloads of rubble, mostly raw concrete. The debris is removed, crushed and re-used, including to pave roads and to build barriers to manage rainwater.

**Ukraine

Turning to the situation in Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says a new wave of attacks has severely disrupted critical services across the country, aggravating humanitarian needs amid harsh winter conditions. Between yesterday and early this morning, authorities reported several fatalities, with more than 30 injured nationwide.

In the region of Odesa, a bridge and a railway station were struck. One woman was reportedly killed, while her three children and several other civilians were injured. Also in Odesa, attacks on energy infrastructure have left some 270,000 customers without water. Approximately 85,000 customers are without heating, while 75,000 have no electricity at all. According to Ukraine's Energy Ministry, energy facilities in six other regions were also damaged.

Humanitarians deployed emergency teams to provide first aid to those affected by the recent attacks. They continue to support people impacted by hostilities and the disruption of basic services across the country. As of October this year, humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations, reached 4.4 million people with assistance. Today, a humanitarian convoy delivered seven metric tons of medicines, hygiene supplies and other essentials to a front-line community in the region of Kherson. In 2025, we and our partners despatched 29 humanitarian convoys to the region, reaching more than 30,000 residents.

**Libya

Turning to the Security Council: This morning, Hanna Tetteh, our Special Representative for Libya, briefed Council members and said that on 14 and 15 December, the UN Mission in Libya, UNSMIL, launched the inaugural meeting of the Structured Dialogue, which is part of the road map for Libya's political transition. This is the first process of this magnitude to be held on Libyan soil. She said the participants to the Dialogue showed a positive and constructive spirit.

Ms. Tetteh told the Council that, following the agreement on new security arrangements in Tripoli, the security environment in the capital has now stabilized to a certain extent. The truce continues to hold, she added, saying that the situation in Tripoli and western Libya remains fragile, with sporadic outbreaks of armed clashes in areas in southern Tripoli and elsewhere.

She said the path to Libya's elections remains fraught with complications that are challenging but can be overcome. She calls on all Libyan leaders to respond to the demands of their people and rise above their differences in the interests of the unity and integrity of the Libyan state and to advance the welfare of the Libyan people.

**Sahel and West Africa

Yesterday, I just want to flag for the record, our Deputy Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Ms. Barrie Freeman, briefed the Security Council on the latest report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).

She noted that the Sahel remains the global epicentre of violent extremism and underscored the continued expansion of terrorist groups across the central Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin.

The erosion of democratic norms and standards in the region is also a concern, in particular reports of unlawful detentions, reports of torture and reports of enforced disappearances in some countries. On the recent developments in Guinea-Bissau, she called for Council members to support ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) efforts to restore constitutional order and more broadly protect the region's democratic gains.

She also noted that UNOWAS remains a trusted convener and a facilitator, supporting States across the region to promote peace and stability, and urged Member States to support the ongoing efforts to operationalize the ECOWAS regional counter-terrorism force.

**Burundi/Democratic Republic of the Congo

A quick update from Burundi and the DRC. Our colleagues at the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said today they are deeply alarmed by the worsening humanitarian situation in Burundi.

Over 84,000 human beings have crossed into Burundi from South Kivu since earlier this month. This has increased the total number of Congolese refugees and asylum-seekers in Burundi to more than 200,000.

Local resources, as you can imagine, have been overwhelmed. Transit centres and informal sites, where new arrivals are hosted, have far surpassed capacity, in some cases by nearly 200 per cent, leaving hundreds of families in untenable conditions.

Across the border, violence in South Kivu has forced more than 500,000 Congolese from their homes. Where access permits, the UN refugee agency and their partners continue to conduct protection monitoring and to provide assistance.

UNHCR is seeking $47 million over the next four months to assist 500,000 internally displaced people in the DRC and up to 166,000 refugees in Burundi, Rwanda and other neighbouring countries to which Congolese men, women and children have sought refuge.

**Democratic Republic of the Congo

And also on the DRC itself, I wanted to flag that on Sunday, our Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, Huang Xia, has been invited to co-host an Ad Hoc Summit of Heads of State and Government, convened by the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, in his capacity as Chair of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region.

As you can imagine, the leaders will discuss the current situation in the DRC, especially in the eastern part of the country.

The Special Envoy hopes that the Summit will provide an opportunity for the leaders of the region to take additional steps to de-escalate the situation and to find durable solutions to the conflict, as a complement to the Washington and Doha processes.

**Central African Republic

And an update from our peacekeepers in the Central African Republic. The Mission there, MINUSCA, is supporting the preparations for the general elections, which, as you will recall, are scheduled for 28 December. This will be the first combined presidential, legislative and local elections ever held in the country.

The Mission is providing logistical support for the deployment of sensitive material, including ballots, electoral rolls, and voter lists. Starting on 17 December, this material was dispatched from Bangui to prefecture capitals and hard-to-reach localities in the CAR.

On the security front, the Mission is supporting the election security mechanism, led by the national authorities. To this end, peacekeepers continue to support the extension of State authority throughout the CAR.

Beyond this, the peacekeeping mission, in coordination with UNDP, is supporting the National Elections Authority, including through the training of electoral staff.

This week, the Head of the Peacekeeping Mission in the Central African Republic, Valentine Rugwabiza, said the elections represent a unique opportunity to consolidate constitutional stability and effectively decentralize State authority.

**UNHCR

Lastly, you will have seen that yesterday, the Secretary-General warmly welcomed the action by the General Assembly to elect Barham Ahmed Salih of Iraq as the next High Commissioner for Refugees.

He, of course, succeeds Filippo Grandi of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his leadership and for his tireless efforts in to protect refugees, displaced persons and stateless people.

Mr. Salih, as you will recall, served as President of Iraq from 2018 to 2022, and he brings to the job senior diplomatic, political and administrative leadership experience. He served twice as Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government and as Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq.

Additional info in the bio.

**International Days

A couple of international days to celebrate with you.

Tomorrow is International Human Solidarity Day, a moment to remember that our shared future grows stronger when we act together, guided by solidarity at the core of the UN's mission.

On Sunday, close your eyes for a few minutes, because it is World Meditation Day. With many forms to choose from, meditation reduces stress, improves focus and supports overall health. Something we should all do. We could start the briefing by a moment of meditation. Maybe that's a good idea.

There is another international day and a little quiz for you.

What game was invented in 1891 at a YMCA, in the United States? To play this game, they used peach baskets. […]

It is World Basketball Day, officially recognized by the UN in 2023 and celebrated every year on 21 December.

So people will link the name Dujarric to Jordan, Magic, Kareem, Bird, Kobe, LeBron… for World Basketball Day!

**Questions and Answers

Spokesman: Edie Lederer?

Question: Thank you, Steph. A couple of follow ups. First on Yemen. Were the 10 latest detainees all national staff?

Spokesman: Yes. [cross-talk]

Question: From Yemen?

Spokesman: All national staff.

Question: All men?

Spokesman: I will check. I will check, but that's my understanding.

Question: Okay. And on the killing of a staff member from South Sudan. Was the staff member a national or international?

Spokesman: He was a national staff. He was an interpreter for us. He was removed from, what I understand, from a UN vehicle on 15 December by local security forces and he died in custody. And that's what the local authorities told our colleagues. Obviously, we want investigation. To say that it's unacceptable is obvious, and I expect a direct statement from the SG later this afternoon.

Question: Has his body been returned to his family?

Spokesman: Not that I'm aware of.

Question: So, there's no indication of whether he was stabbed? [cross-talk]

Spokesman: No. We're trying to find the bodies. I would say at this point, the security leadership in Wao - I mean, South Sudanese - is cooperating with us; we're trying to find the body. Dezhi?

Question: Also, a follow-up on Yemen. In the statement, you said that the detention rendered the delivery of the humanitarian assistance in Houthi-controlled areas untenable. What is now the operation of the UN inside Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen? Has this operation been suspended?

Spokesman: Things are being reorganized. Our footprint is much more limited. As you can imagine, how can we work in an area where the de facto authorities are detaining our own people, right? And we can't put them at risk.

Question: Will you suspend the operation?

Spokesman: Things are being looked at on a regular basis, and operations are being reorganized, but it is an untenable situation for us.

Question: For a bigger picture: Within a week, we have six Bangladesh peacekeepers died in Sudan, one interpreter died in South Sudan, and 10 nationals detained in Yemen. How does the Secretary-General worry about the trend that the UN's operation is no more respectable? [cross-talk]

Spokesman: It's a very worrying trend. And we've seen these cases that you just highlighted recently. We can sadly go back very far in UN history to see UN personnel killed. We see all too often that the UN flag, the UN emblem no longer offers a protection that it should to our colleagues. We have more than 300 of our colleagues who were killed in Gaza, right? We've seen, I mean, the horrific death toll of peacekeepers in Mali when our peacekeeping mission was there. UN personnel, whether they are humanitarian, whether they are peacekeepers, whether they're political envoys, are there for peace. They are there for the people. They need to be respected. Yes, Pan?

Question: Thank you, Steph. A follow-up on Yemen. Has the Houthis given any reason that why they detained 10 UN personnel yesterday?

Spokesman: I mean, we've seen the reasons they've said publicly. There is no excuse for arbitrary detention. Yes, go ahead, Pan.

Question: Yes. So, has the United Nations contacted the Houthis for their release?

Spokesman: Yes. As I said, we are in contact. We have a point person who is in contact with the Houthis. We are also in contact with other Member States to try to help and get our colleagues released, as well as those who work for NGOs, who work for diplomatic missions and all those who are arbitrarily detained. Namo?

Question: Thank you, Stéphane. So, on the election of Barham Salih by the General Assembly, what exactly prompted the Secretary-General to nominate him? And, I mean, what qualities does Secretary-General believe make him the right person at this time when the Organization's funding has significantly declined?

Spokesman: There were a lot of outstanding candidates for that post. And I think it's a testament to the importance that UNHCR carries in the world that so many great people wanted to have this job. I think Mr. Salih's taking over UNHCR is historic as in the sense, he is the first person from a non-donor country, right, from a developing country to have that post. And I think he brings a wealth of personal experience, himself having been banished from and having to flee his own country and also having been President of a country that has hosted generously refugees, President of a country from which people had to flee, who were refugees in other countries. So, I think he brings a very unique experience. Ms. Fasulo and then…

Question: Thank you, Steph. Apropos of Yemen and other places, I mean, having UN staff detained and mission staff and all kinds of NGOs gives the impression that the UN is sort of helpless in this world, so to speak. I mean, symbolically, it's just… I mean, is there anything more that the UN should do in Security Council? [cross-talk]

Spokesman: I guess my question to you, Linda, is which UN are you talking about, right? The Secretary-General doesn't have the authority to get a group of special forces to get his people out, right?

Question: Would he want them?

Spokesman: Of course, I mean, we want our people out. We work. We're able to work, and we should be able to work in the most dangerous places because the flag offers protection, but also because Member States should help us, right? Should help protect the work of the UN. We're working on behalf of Member States. We're fulfilling mandates given to us by the General Assembly, by the Security Council. So, it does feel a bit lonely sometimes, right? I mean, the Secretary-General had very good meetings with the Sultan of Oman, with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, where he raised these issues, and we very much appreciate their assistance. He's spoken about Yemen quite often with the Foreign Minister of Iran, as well. But at the end of day, the Houthis need to release these people who are there to help their own people, right? And that's why I keep saying the situation is untenable for us.

Question: Well, should the General Assembly and Security Council be more vocal? [cross-talk]

Spokesman: I think every Member State should be more vocal. Every Member State should be more vocal, because the lack of protection of UN personnel impacts all Member States. Monsieur and then Gabriel. I'm sorry. No, you were next. Go ahead, please.

Question: Thank you. First of all, welcome back. We're happy to see you again. We have two questions. We would like to follow up on some updates we got yesterday from WFP (World Food Programme). There are still many videos coming from Gaza about flooding and children's exposure to cold. So, the first question is a little bit broad. How do conditions like this affect the United Nations SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) progress? And how the UN factors these setbacks into long-term planning?

Spokesman: I mean, for Gaza, let's talk… None of what is happening is good for the SDG indicators in Gaza, right? On health, on education, on human rights, on all 17 goals. And that's why I think the Secretary-General's message was clear today. I don't want to say it was good news, in the sense that there is no famine, but it is still horrific news in the sense that hunger prevails for almost 75 per cent of the population. And that's why he's pushing all parties concerned to get more aid in and restore hope for the Palestinian people and for the Israeli people, as well.

Question: Can I add a question, please?

Spokesman: You may.

Question: Thank you. So, there are videos coming, showing fathers saying that they are spending the night with their children, standing. And there are other videos showing children with wet clothes. They don't have any other clothes to change. The tents are not solid to withstand the floods. So are there any plans to move toward more solid shelter, like mobile housing, and provide more winter items like basic stuff, socks? [cross-talk]

Spokesman: Yes. I mean this is exactly what we've been trying to do is, to get and we've been saying, how much we've been getting in winter clothes. We are not able to bring enough tents as we need. We're not bringing enough shelter as we need. We will, of course, we would like to move as soon as possible to rebuild to rebuilding and to bring a little bit more solid housing, but that's not something we're able to do at this point.

Question: Could you please tell us what's the barrier?

Spokesman: Barrier is not enough aid being allowed in by the Israeli authorities.

Question: Thank you.

Spokesman: Okay. Monsieur?

Question: Merci. Back to Yemen. In your discussions with the Houthis, do you feel that the reason for them to detain these people, is it to squeeze the UN out of the country, or do they have some specific accusations against these persons?

Spokesman: There are public accusations that have been made, and I think you've seen them; we've seen them. I mean, I can't speak to their state of mind. I just… I can't speak to for any party in which we're involved in discussions with. So, I think those are questions you need to ask them, what their endgame is.

Question: Another topic?

Spokesman: You may. You've been so polite today.

Question: Thank you, as usual.

Spokesman: Yes, yes, yes, sorry, of course.

Question: Tensions have flared up between Cambodia and Thailand these last days. Did the Secretary-General offer his good offices to the two parties? And are there any contacts with their missions here at the UN?

Spokesman: There are likely to have contacts with the missions here, but the Secretary-General's good offices, you know, are always available, should both parties request them for any conflict. For us, it is about not recreating a different framework. There's a framework that was signed by the parties, by Cambodia and by Thailand in Malaysia on the sidelines of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit, if I'm not mistaken, of course, with the great effort from the United States. And what was agreed to should be respected. Gabriel?

Question: Thanks, Steph. On the issue of temporary shelter in Gaza, the UN has been calling for many weeks now for Israel to allow more shelter material to get in. Particularly with the recent cold weather and flooding in Gaza, in the past week, has Israel allowed any more noticeable levels of temporary shelter into Gaza?

Spokesman: I don't have the hard data for that. You should check the 2701 website, if that has the latest. And I stand corrected on one thing, and I want to bring more details on another that Edie asked. All the 10 detainees in Yemen are male, and we have recovered the body of our colleague in South Sudan, and its resolution is 2720. There we go.

Question: And just to finish up on that, what did the body show?

Spokesman: I don't have that information yet, but what the facts are is that our colleague lost his life in detention. Any question online? Gabriel, do you want to finish up and then we'll go to Dezhi, and then maybe we'll have lunch.

Question: Thanks, Steph. Just a quick follow-up on Yemen too, actually. I just want to be clear on the untenable language that you guys are using and a follow-up on Dezhi's question. Are you saying that a scale-down of humanitarian aid is on the table or not?

Spokesman: Look, we've had to adjust our footprint, right? Untenable means, like, just at some point, something is going to break, right? We cannot go on delivering humanitarian aid at the scale that it's needed if our staff is harassed and is detained. I mean, I think you know very well that the UN staff in Yemen, the vast majority of them are nationals, are putting themselves at risk for the good of their own brothers and sisters in Yemen. We have a responsibility, and the Secretary-General is responsible for the safety of the staff, but also a responsibility to have aid delivered where it's needed. And every day, we have to find that equilibrium, whether it's in Yemen, whether it's in South Sudan, whether it's in Darfur or in Kordofan or whether it's in Gaza, and adjustments need to be made. Dezhi?

Question: Real quick question. It's almost the end of the year. Has the investigation case of the President [Donald] Trump escalator closed? Is there any new update?

Spokesman: We have given the results of everything we've discovered to the US ission a long time ago, and I stand by everything I said at the time. Better be good.

Question: I guess. I hope. As it is the end of the year, do you have any dates for the Secretary-General's end of year encounter?

Spokesman: No. It will be at beginning of year, press encounter. Probably around 20 January or so, 20, 22, around there. But we will not keep it a secret. All right. Have a great weekend. We'll see you Monday.