The United Nations addressed humanitarian crises in Lebanon, Gaza, Somalia, Ukraine, and West and Central Africa.

Lebanon: The World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners are providing medical supplies and technical assistance to support Lebanon's health system, while the World Food Program (WFP) is scaling up emergency food assistance to reach up to 1 million people impacted by the ongoing crisis. The WFP has also been stockpiling food supplies in strategic areas to address potential future needs. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and its humanitarian partners are assisting both Syrian and Lebanese families crossing the border, with a particular focus on women and children who are disproportionately affected by the conflict. The UN Population Fund is supporting 17 safe spaces for women and girls across Lebanon. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, condemned the recent dangerous escalation of violence, emphasizing that attacks disrupting essential services, delaying life-saving medical care, and violating fundamental rights are unacceptable.

Gaza: The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed deep concern over the impact of repeated airstrikes on shelters for displaced people in Gaza. At least six schools serving as shelters have been struck, including a deadly attack on the Al-Alal Institute for Orphans, which was also being used as a shelter. OCHA reiterated that international humanitarian law requires parties to take all necessary precautions to spare civilians from harm and ensure their protection and access to essential needs. Despite challenges, humanitarian partners continue to provide treatment to malnourished children in Gaza, with over 24,000 children screened for malnutrition last month alone. However, OCHA warned that partners face limitations in storing refrigerated supplies due to restricted access and security concerns. The WFP has reached nearly 900,000 vulnerable people in Gaza and the West Bank, but this is significantly lower than usual due to Israeli-imposed bureaucratic hurdles, security concerns, and limited border crossing points. The WFP has provided over 9.4 million hot meals through community kitchens, but will no longer distribute food baskets in Gaza due to restricted access to essential goods.

Somalia: James Swan, the Acting Special Representative for Somalia and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia, briefed the Security Council on the situation in the country. He acknowledged Somalia's commendable efforts in sustaining military operations against Al-Shabaab, but also highlighted the challenges of force generation, transitioning security responsibilities from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), planning for the proposed African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (ASSOM), and implementing stabilization programs in recovered areas. Swan emphasized the UN's continued support for the federal government in these endeavors, working closely with the African Union and other partners. He also highlighted the intensifying humanitarian and development challenges exacerbated by climate shocks, warning that resource scarcity and displacement are driving conflict. Swan stressed the importance of building resilience to climate change for Somalia's stability.

Ukraine: The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, reported on the situation in the country, highlighting the recent attack on an apartment block that injured civilians. Brown emphasized the need to prevent the normalization of the war and ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, particularly given the repeated attacks on energy facilities as winter approaches. Humanitarian colleagues noted over 50 attacks on Kharkiv last month, resulting in over 190 casualties, including children. OCHA reported that hostilities in the frontline areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions resulted in civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure. Humanitarian workers delivered assistance to those in need in these areas.

West and Central Africa: The briefing addressed the ongoing flooding crisis in West and Central Africa, which has reached catastrophic levels, impacting over 5 million people in 16 countries. Chad, Niger, and Nigeria are among the hardest hit, with over 80% of those affected residing in these countries. The floods have displaced hundreds of thousands of people, damaged schools and health facilities, and affected nearly half a million acres of farmland. The UN's Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator, Joyce Msuya, allocated $35 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund for flood relief in Chad, Niger, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Congo, but more funding is urgently needed.

South Sudan: The UN peacekeeping mission and the UN country team in South Sudan have intensified their efforts to support communities affected by heavy rains and flooding. Over 18,000 people have been displaced, facing critical conditions exacerbated by existing food insecurity and disease outbreaks. The peacekeeping mission has constructed channels to facilitate water flow and improve access to humanitarian assistance. They are also distributing essential supplies, including food, mosquito nets, clothing, and hygiene products.

Democratic Republic of the Congo: UN peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo deployed a patrol to villages in Ituri province following reports of gunfire from members of the ZIR militia. The militia members withdrew after the arrival of UN peacekeepers. The mission also conducted night patrols to protect civilians in response to a potential attack by the CODECO armed group. In coordination with the UN Mine Action Service and the Congolese Armed Forces, the peacekeeping mission conducted an operation to clear unexploded ordinances.

Climate Change and Winter Sports: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation announced a new partnership to highlight the harmful effects of climate change on winter sports and tourism. This collaboration aims to strengthen scientific and sporting dialogue and establish practical initiatives to address the impacts of rising global temperatures on snow and ice cover.

Senior Personnel Appointments: The Secretary-General announced the appointment of Madalena Sueda Carmona of Chile as the Director of the UN Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD). Carmona succeeds Paul Ladd of the United Kingdom, who is thanked for his dedicated service and leadership. The Secretary-General also expressed appreciation for Katya Hudo, Senior Research Coordinator, who will serve as Acting Director until Carmona assumes her position.

Questions and Answers: The briefing included questions from journalists on various topics, including the replacement of Martin Griffiths, the Secretary-General's reaction to the E10's support, the concern over the ongoing violence in Gaza, the informal meeting between Turkish and Greek leaders, the funding for the flash appeal for Lebanon, and the provision of blood to Lebanon.