Daily News Links - the week through 6 December 2025

December 6, 2025

SUDAN

RSF drone strike kills 79 including 43 children in South Kordofan — A Rapid Support Forces drone attack on Kalogi in South Kordofan fired four missiles hitting a kindergarten, hospital and densely populated residential areas, killing at least 79 civilians including 43 children aged between five and seven. 

CHAD

Chad now hosts more than 880,000 Sudanese refugees from the 30-month war between RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces that has displaced nearly 12 million people and created the world's worst humanitarian crisis. UNHCR is working to relocate 237,000 refugees from border areas to established facilities, but the malnutrition ward at Farchana Hospital treating 80 infants and children faces funding expiration by late 2025. Water demand has increased dramatically with 41,000 new refugees arriving in 2025 alone, while Chad's economy strains under extreme weather events and conflict.

 SOUTH SUDAN

UNICEF chief urges action for South Sudan's children amid perfect storm — UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell concluded a visit to South Sudan calling for increased government and international investment as 2.1 million children under five face malnutrition risk and 9.3 million people require life-saving humanitarian support. Nearly 1.3 million Sudanese refugees and returnees have arrived in South Sudan straining limited services, while two in five children face acute malnutrition risk particularly in areas hit by flooding and conflict. 

PALESTINE

West Bank — Four Palestinians including one child were killed by Israeli forces between November 25 and December 1, bringing total West Bank fatalities in 2025 to 227, with nearly half recorded in Jenin and Nablus governorates. Large-scale operations in Jenin and Tubas affected more than 95,000 Palestinians last week through raids, curfews and bulldozer damage to homes and water networks, displacing families and cutting water to nearly 17,000 people. OCHA documented 1,680 settler attacks across 270 communities this year, averaging five per day, with widespread assaults on farmers during the olive harvest season.

Gaza - The controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has finally closed operations.  The UN human rights office documented at least 859 Palestinians killed near GHF sites between May 26 and July 31, mostly by Israeli military fire.

 Gaza - Israel continues to plan a 'one-way' opening of the Rafah border to allow Palestinians to leave Gaza to and through Egypt.  Egypt insists Rafah crossing must operate in both direction, emphasizing that Trump's Gaza peace plan stipulates reopening Rafah crossing in both directions Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar jointly rejected any attempts to expel Palestinians from their land. 

Gaza - US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz begins a December 6-10 regional trip to Jordan and Israel to promote Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan and advance UN Security Council Resolution 2803 implementation. 

LEBANON

The UN says Israeli airstrikes within UNIFIL's area of operations on December 5 represent clear violations of Security Council resolution 1701 that ended hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in 2006. In another incident six men on mopeds approached peacekeepers on patrol and fired approximately three shots into the patrol vehicle, though no injuries occurred, prompting UNIFIL to urge both parties to adhere to commitments and use liaison mechanisms to prevent escalation.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Death toll exceeds 1,500 across Southeast Asia floods — Catastrophic flooding and landslides  that struck parts of Asia last week have killed more than 1,500 people, with Indonesia's death toll reaching 908 and 410 people still missing. Sri Lanka confirmed 486 deaths, Thailand reported 185 deaths, and Malaysia confirmed three deaths. Nearly 900 people remain unaccounted for in Indonesia and Sri Lanka combined.  More than 260,000 residents fled homes in Indonesia's Aceh Tamiang district, the hardest-hit area where entire villages lie submerged beneath mud. Roads connecting cities to the outside world are severed, leaving some areas accessible only by helicopter, while transmission towers collapsed under landslides causing internet outages. Survivors blame deforestation and official corruption for worsening the disaster.

GAVI

WHO and UNICEF will see approximately 30% funding reduction beginning in 2026 under the new Gavi Leap strategy that gives countries greater control over vaccine priorities beyond essential child regimens, with nearly 90% of procurement budget allocated directly through country vaccine budgets. The strategy increases support for fragile and conflict settings by 15% while cutting support to lower-middle income countries, maintaining core vaccines including polio, pentavalent, pneumococcal, measles, HPV, rotavirus and yellow fever.Gavi reduced headquarters staff from 643 to 440 people following a June fundraising shortfall that secured $9.5 billion of an $11.9 billion goal for 2026-2030. 

December 5, 2025

NORTHERN MOZAMBIQUE

Violence displaces 100,000+ in Cabo Delgado — UNICEF reports armed group attacks have pushed children to the breaking point in northern Mozambique, with over 100,000 displaced since late November. Children face recruitment by armed groups, family separation, sexual violence, and severe psychological trauma. The UN warns of a deepening protection crisis as aid supplies run dangerously short. An Islamic State-linked insurgency has plagued Cabo Delgado since 2017, displacing nearly one million people.

SUDAN

Kordofan region attacks — UN human rights chief warns Sudan's Kordofan must become "another El Fasher," with at least 269 civilians killed since late October. The region is nearing collapse with famine conditions identified in Kadugli. New research reveals severe humanitarian needs in Khartoum as international response faces human rights and policy challenges.

SRI LANKA

Cyclone displaces over 275,000 children — UNICEF warns Cyclone Ditwah has created an escalating humanitarian crisis after making landfall on November 28, with over 275,000 children among 1.4 million people affected by floods and landslides. Severe damage to homes and infrastructure has caused widespread displacement and increases risk of disease outbreaks, malnutrition, and emotional distress among children already struggling from the 2022 economic crisis that doubled poverty rates.

PALESTINE

• Record Palestinian child displacement — Save the Children reports 607 Palestinian children were displaced in the West Bank during the first half of 2025 due to home demolitions by Israeli authorities, the highest number for any first-half period since records began in 2009. The demolitions are part of systematic policy to force Palestinians from their homes, with 78% of cases involving homes built without Israeli-issued permits that are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain.
• Israel bans major NGOs — Israel has banned Save the Children and the Quakers from operating in Palestinian territories, raising concerns about constraints on aid delivery to civilians.

SOUTH LEBANON

Irish peacekeepers come under fire — All 127 Irish Defence Forces battalion members are safe after coming under small arms fire during patrol near Bint Jbeil in south Lebanon. Six men on three mopeds approached the Unifil patrol, with one firing approximately three shots into the back of their vehicle. 

UNSC SYRIA LEBANON

UN Security Council mission begins — The UN Security Council launches a mission to Syria and Lebanon, with Damascus talks focusing on rebuilding trust and assessing humanitarian needs.

BANGLADESH

Typhoid vaccination — UNICEF reports 97 percent of targeted children vaccinated against typhoid in major public health campaign.

FOOTBALL AFRICA

Football stars launch "Kick Out Polio" campaign — Six prominent African footballers partnered with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to launch campaign ahead of Africa Cup of Nations 2025, urging the continent to unite against polio. From January to October 2025, coordinated campaigns reached nearly 200 million children across 15 African countries, demonstrating effectiveness of cross-border vaccination efforts across Horn of Africa, Lake Chad Basin, and Sahel regions.

December 4, 2025

GAZA

• Israeli strike kills six including three children—Israel launched a deadly strike on an encampment in Khan Younis on Wednesday after Hamas militants attacked Israeli soldiers in nearby Rafah, with Palestinian health officials reporting at least six people killed including three children. 
• Guterres calls Israel's Gaza war conduct fundamentally wrong—UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned Israel's prosecution of the Gaza war as fundamentally wrong, stating the operation was conducted with total neglect regarding civilian deaths and Gaza's destruction, with strong reasons to believe Israeli forces committed war crimes. He noted that while the objective was destroying Hamas, Gaza is destroyed but Hamas is not.
• Militia leader accused of looting aid trucks on behalf of Israel collaboration killed—Yasser Abu Shabab, leader of a Gaza gang accused of working with Israel and looting humanitarian aid, has been killed according to Israeli media reports. Abu Shabab's Popular Forces group became infamous for stealing aid and blocking trucks from entering northern Gaza with Israeli officials acknowledging cooperation to establish a local anti-Hamas force. 

WEST BANK

Settlers continue to push Palestinians off land—In May, the Israeli government approved 22 settlements across the West Bank, the most extensive expansion in decades, accelerating Palestinian displacement as families are forced from homes when settlers establish outposts. Over 40 new settler outposts have been built in the past six months alone according to Peace Now's Settlement Watch project. The UN and International Court of Justice consider all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank violations of international law.

LEBANON

Israel strikes south Lebanon despite ceasefire—Israel launched fresh strikes on Thursday targeting buildings in Mahrouna, Jbaa, Majadal and Baraasheet in south Lebanon, with the military saying it struck Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in civilian areas. The strikes came one day after Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first direct talks in decades at UN headquarters in Naqura, though Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam cautioned the discussions were strictly about implementing the November 2024 ceasefire and not broader peace talks. Despite the ceasefire that was supposed to end hostilities, Israel has maintained troops in five strategic areas of south Lebanon and continued air strikes.

SYRIA

UN paid $11 million to Assad-linked security firm—Internal documents reveal the United Nations paid at least $11 million from 2014 through 2024 to Shorouk for Protection, Guarding and Security Services, a Syrian company secretly owned by Assad's General Intelligence Directorate. Leaked memos show company manager Wael al-Haou sent profit-sharing checks to the intelligence agency and described Shorouk as controlled by the GID, with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad writing that security firms were monitoring UN employees for Assad's regime. Despite conducting enhanced due diligence after Human Rights Watch warnings in 2022, UN officials said they found no verifiable evidence of intelligence ownership during procurement processes and continued employing Shorouk through the regime's fall.

SUDAN

• Grassroots networks rewrite humanitarian playbook—Sudan's Emergency Response Rooms, community-led volunteer networks that emerged from resistance committees behind the 2019 revolution, have assisted over 11.5 million people by providing healthcare, food, education and civilian protection where international agencies cannot reach. Operating across all 18 states with more than 737 base ERRs, they represent a model of locally-led humanitarian action grounded in mutual aid and community governance. The initiative earned Nobel Peace Prize nominations in both 2024 and 2025, challenging international actors to reconsider power, legitimacy and civic leadership when states collapse.
• Civilian deaths in Kordofan—UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned of another wave of atrocities in Sudan's Kordofan region amid fierce fighting, with the UN documenting at least 269 civilian deaths from aerial strikes, artillery shelling and summary executions since the RSF captured Bara city on October 25. Over 45,000 people fled their homes in the past month, with communities in Dilling and Kadugli trapped in siege conditions according to UNICEF. 
• Joint statement on Kordofan violence and sieges—The Operational Humanitarian Country Team condemned escalating violence across Kordofan and ongoing sieges cutting off multiple cities, with communities in Dilling and Kadugli trapped facing extreme hardship and famine conditions identified in Kadugli. 

CHAD

Cost of armed escorts drains humanitarian response —UN agencies in Eastern Chad spent $901,700 on armed escorts in 2024, resources that could have provided multisectoral assistance to 3,152 host community members or 1,761 refugees. The systematic use of paid escorts exacerbates financial challenges. 

AFGHANISTAN

Four children die from cold in earthquake-affected camp—UNICEF representative Tajudeen Oyewale reported that four children died from cold weather and preventable illnesses in the Zari Baba Camp in Nurgal district of Kunar province. The deaths occurred among earthquake-affected families struggling against harsh winter conditions. UNICEF had previously warned that 270,000 children in northern and eastern Afghanistan affected by recent earthquakes face life-threatening risks as winter approaches.

UKRAINE

UNGA demands Russia return Ukrainian children—The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution demanding Moscow end the forcible transfer and separation of Ukrainian children from their families. The emergency special session focused on Russian aggression against Ukraine, addressing children taken since the full-scale invasion began.

MALARIA

Drug resistance threatens malaria elimination progress—The WHO World Malaria Report shows antimalarial drug resistance now poses one of the most acute risks to control efforts across Africa, with eight countries reporting confirmed or suspected resistance to artemisinin. Despite intervention saving an estimated 14 million lives since 2000, there were over 280 million malaria cases and more than 600,000 deaths in 2024, with 95 percent concentrated in Africa. Global malaria funding reached only $3.9 billion in 2024, less than half the target, with Overseas Development Aid from wealthy countries falling 21 percent.

December 3, 2025

GAZA 

Egypt denies Rafah deal with Israel – Egypt denied coordinating with Israel to reopen Rafah crossing after Israel's COGAT announced crossing would open "in coming days" exclusively for Gaza residents to exit to Egypt. Egypt insists any opening must be in both directions per Trump ceasefire agreement. Over 16,500 sick and injured Palestinians need treatment unavailable in Gaza according to WHO, with at least 900 dying while waiting for evacuations since October 2023.

Ceasefire violations mount amid fragile truce – Israel has committed at least 591 violations of the October 10 ceasefire resulting in the deaths of more than 70 children and injuring 909 others. UN experts warned November 24 that continuing violations threaten the fragile truce, with over 58% of Gaza remaining under Israeli military control beyond agreed withdrawal lines. Qatar urged pushing parties to phase two of the agreement very soon, while mediators work to prevent ceasefire collapse. Only half of required food aid currently reaches Gaza, with just 6,277 trucks reaching destinations inside Gaza from October 10 to December 1 according to UN monitoring.

GOLAN HEIGHTS 

UN General Assembly demands Israeli withdrawal – UN General Assembly adopted resolution with 123 votes in favor demanding Israel withdraw from occupied Syrian Golan to June 4, 1967 line. Seven countries including US and Israel voted against, 41 abstained. Resolution declares Israel's 1981 decision to impose laws and administration on Golan "null and void." Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon called vote disconnected from reality, stating Israel will not abandon the Golan.

IRAQ 

UN mission ends after 22 years – UN Assistance Mission in Iraq concludes mandate December 31 after helping country through decades of dictatorship, wars, conflicts and Da'esh terror. Special Representative Mohammed Al Hassan cited 13 successful electoral processes including November's sixth parliamentary election with 56% turnout as fitting final chapter. Roughly one million people remain internally displaced including over 100,000 Yazidis, while approximately 20,800 Iraqi nationals have returned from Syria detention camps.

SOUTHEAST ASIA 

Learning crisis persists – One in two Grade 5 students in Southeast Asia still cannot meet minimum reading and math standards despite slight improvements. UNICEF data shows 6 out of 10 children in South Asia and 5 out of 10 in East Asia and Pacific cannot read by age 10, with many attending school but not learning. Early childhood education proves critical, with children who attended ECE programs performing significantly better in assessments.

MYANMAR – UN budget cuts threaten war crimes probe – The UN-backed Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar risks losing more than a third of its 77 staff due to looming funding shortfalls, with UN proposing 15% budget cut for 2026 plus anticipated drop in voluntary donor contributions. The mechanism has been collecting evidence of war crimes since 2018, including military's 2017 campaign that drove over 700,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh and killed over 6,000, plus ongoing civil war since 2021 military coup. 

CENTRAL AMERICA 

Displaced populations face abandonment – NRC reports that four of the five lowest-funded humanitarian response plans for 2025 are in Latin America, all less than 10% funded including Haiti at 8.2%, Mali 8.5%, El Salvador 8.7% and Honduras 9%. ProLAC research shows 70% of people displaced in Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico were forced to flee by violence and criminal groups. Two-thirds of displaced have not reported their situation to authorities due to absent legal frameworks and distrust.

ODI 

False choices – Donors in Post-Aid World platform warns against trading development aid and defense spending as if interchangeable. Real security demands both hard power and sustained international cooperation rather than zero-sum game between them. Official Development Assistance dropped 7.1% in real terms for 2024 after peak in 2023, with tight fiscal conditions pushing some governments to justify foreign aid cuts.

December 2, 2025

UN BUDGET CRISIS

UN slashes 2026 budget 15% amid cash shortage – Secretary-General António Guterres announced a $577 million budget cut for 2026, reducing spending to $3.24 billion while eliminating 2,681 positions (18.8% of workforce). Unpaid member dues have climbed to $1.59 billion, with the United States, China, Russia and Mexico among major delinquent contributors, forcing the organization to operate below approved levels. UNRWA's budget remains protected due to high demand in Gaza.

Only 145 of 193 countries paid 2025 dues – The Fifth Committee received warnings that the UN faces its most fragile cash position in years, with $760 million in unpaid 2024 assessments still outstanding and $877 million owed for 2025. Special political missions face 21.6% cuts largely from mission closures, while lease terminations in New York will save $24.5 million annually from 2029.

LANDMINES

Civilian casualties reach four-year high – The Landmine Monitor 2025 report documented 6,279 casualties in 2024, with civilians comprising 90% of victims and children representing nearly half. In Afghanistan, 77% of all casualties were children, while contamination now affects at least 57 states including seven massively contaminated countries: Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Türkiye and Ukraine.

Mine Ban Treaty faces unprecedented challenges – Five European states parties are moving to legally withdraw citing altered security after Russia's 2022 Ukraine invasion, while the report confirms extensive mine use by Myanmar and Russia. US funding freeze in 2025 terminated programmes in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Colombia, Tajikistan and Zimbabwe, with victim assistance funding falling 23%.

HIV/AIDS IN CHILDREN

Funding cuts threaten to reverse two decades of HIV progress – A new report by UNAIDS, UNICEF and Avenir Health warns that if HIV programme coverage falls by half, an additional 1.1 million children could acquire HIV and 820,000 more could die of AIDS-related causes by 2040. The analysis shows that sudden external funding cuts beginning in 2025 have already begun undermining intervention coverage, with the vast majority of projected infections and deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa where 88% of children living with HIV reside.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR CHILDREN

UNICEF explores AI impact on early childhood – UNICEF research with 16,000 children and parents shows significant divides in AI access and usage patterns, particularly across the global South, with more than a third of 9- to 11-year-olds in Argentina turning to ChatGPT for information. The organization's Innovation Fund has invested over $1.4 million in AI solutions for children across 10 countries, including Afinidata, which has delivered over 2 million educational sessions for early childhood development.

1 December 2025

Southeast Asia

Floods and landslides devastate region – Nearly 6 million children across Southeast Asia have been affected by severe flooding and landslides, with communities facing displacement, disrupted education, and health risks. UNICEF is providing emergency assistance including water, sanitation, and support for displaced families.

Somalia

UN reduces staff amid funding shortfall – The United Nations has cut over 680 staff positions in Somalia due to a critical funding crisis. The reductions impact multiple UN agencies and their capacity to deliver essential services.

Afghanistan

Northern regions face humanitarian emergency – The UN has issued fresh warnings about a deepening humanitarian crisis in northern Afghanistan, where communities struggle with food insecurity, harsh winter conditions, and limited access to basic services.

Sudan

Children face catastrophic malnutrition crisis – UNICEF reports that 5.5 million children were screened for malnutrition with 500,000 treated for severe acute malnutrition, while cholera has spread to 82 localities and measles cases exceed 3,300 nationwide.

Palestine

Child deaths – UNICEF data shows over 20,000 children killed since October 2023, with 500,000 school-age children deprived of education as 90 percent of infrastructure lies damaged or destroyed.

Conflict zones

Women protect education amid displacement – Despite conflict and displacement, resilient women educators continue protecting children's access to learning in crisis settings. European Civil Protection highlights how female teachers maintain educational continuity in the most challenging humanitarian contexts.

November 30,2025

Gaza

Ceasefire violations kill children in Gaza – Two young brothers were killed in an Israeli drone attack on Bani Suheila east of Khan Younis, with the attack occurring beyond the Yellow Line marking the Israeli redeployment boundary agreed under the October ceasefire.

9,300 Gaza children suffer severe malnutrition – UNICEF reported that nutrition screenings in October identified nearly 9,300 children under age five with acute malnutrition, with winter conditions accelerating disease spread while large quantities of winter supplies remain stuck at Gaza's borders.

Israeli aid claims contradicted by officials – Gaza's Government Media Office disputes Israeli claims of delivering 250,000 tents and adequate fuel, stating only 34% of expected supplies have entered Gaza since the October ceasefire. UNRWA confirmed it has no information about winter aid coordination while sufficient shelter materials remain in Egyptian warehouses blocked from entry.

Sudan

Sudan offers cooperation with UN on peace and aid – Prime Minister Kamil Idris met with UN Secretary-General's envoy Ramtane Lamamra in Port Sudan, expressing readiness to work with the United Nations to achieve peace and ensure humanitarian aid delivery as 21.2 million people face the threat of severe hunger.

Health & Development

WHO calls for universal infertility care – The World Health Organization released its first guideline on infertility treatment, calling it one of the most overlooked public health challenges affecting more than 1 in 6 people of reproductive age globally. Access to care is severely limited with treatment often costing twice the average annual household income in some countries.

WHO Director-General visits Angola fistula center – Dr. Tedros Adhanom toured the Vangulula Centre at Azancot de Menezes Hospital, which has treated 3,195 women between 2014 and 2024 with a 98% success rate, providing treatment and social reintegration for women suffering from obstetric fistula. The center serves an estimated 20,000 Angolan women affected by this devastating birth injury.