UN Jan 23rd, 2026: UN Marks ECOSOC at 80, Gives Updates on Gaza Aid, Syria Access, and Iran Crackdown

By ATN News Team

UNHQ, New York: The United Nations’ noon briefing on Jan. 23 offered a familiar snapshot of how the organization works in practice: careful language, incremental movement, unresolved crises, and a steady effort to keep multiple tracks active at once.

Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq opened with remarks from Secretary-General António Guterres marking the 80th anniversary of the Economic and Social Council.The tone was reflective without drifting into ceremony. Guterres portrayed ECOSOC as both an institution with history and a test of political will, pressing member states to move past statements and start delivering on the Pact for the Future.

The implication was straightforward: the body’s relevance depends on whether governments choose to invest real authority in it.

A similar message emerged from Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s recent engagements in Paris. Speaking at UNESCO on the International Day of Education, she framed education as infrastructure for peace, inclusion, and digital resilience, rather than charity.Her meetings with UNESCO’s leadership also touched on the UN80 reform process, connecting the work of specialized agencies to the wider effort to rethink how the UN system operates.

The briefing then turned to country updates.

In Colombia, the Secretary-General’s representative said violence remains well below the levels seen at the height of the conflict, but warned that civilians are still at risk. Killings of social leaders, forced displacement, and the recruitment of children by armed groups continue to be serious concerns.

Officials said the peace process remains intact but depends heavily on sustained political commitment.

In Gaza, UN agencies reported that winter conditions are worsening hardship for displaced families, with damaged tents and growing demand for more durable shelter. UNICEF confirmed that recreational kits for children had entered the territory for the first time since 2023, reaching more than 375,000 children. The delivery was modest compared to the scale of need, but officials described it as a tangible step forward. The UN again called for further easing of restrictions on humanitarian supplies. In the West Bank, the end of an Israeli operation in Hebron allowed the UN to begin assessments after about 25,000 Palestinians had been placed under curfew earlier in the week.

UNIFIL’s update from southern Lebanon focused on operational issuesPeacekeepers said they had found unauthorized weapons caches and noted continued IDF activity, while also working to repair Blue Line markers damaged in earlier fighting. Officials also pointed to ongoing explosive risk education sessions with children in affected communities.

In Syria, UNHCR gained access to Al-Hol camp alongside Syrian officials following a volatile security disruption. Bread deliveries have resumed and some water services are back online. Officials stressed that access is still limited and warned against overstating the progress. They also raised separate concerns about Kobani, where road closures and damaged infrastructure are worsening humanitarian risks.

The update from Afghanistan was bleak. Extreme winter conditions have killed at least 16 people, most of them children, and nearly 22 million people nationwide remain in need of assistance. OCHA reiterated its $1.7 billion humanitarian appeal for 2026.

The most severe language referenced during the briefing came from Geneva. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk told the Human Rights Council that thousands of people, including children, had been killed in Iran during a crackdown that intensified earlier this month. He cited video evidence showing bodies with fatal head and chest wounds and called for an end to repression, the release of arbitrarily detained individuals, and a moratorium on the death penalty. Haq relayed the statement without commentary.

In Africa, the UN announced a $187 million flood appeal for Mozambique and a $516 million humanitarian plan for northeast Nigeria. The focus was logistical rather than political, including pre-positioned supplies, mobile nutrition units, and warehouse capacity.

During the question period, reporters pressed for clarity on access to Al-Hol, on reports of a possible U.S.-Russia-Ukraine meeting in Abu Dhabi, and on rising tensions between Washington and Tehran. Haq stuck to the UN’s established line, calling for dialogue, urging restraint, and pointing back to Charter principles. Questions about U.S. withdrawal from the WHO and the Paris Agreement drew more technical, procedural answers than political ones. On allegations of forced labor in China, Haq reiterated respect for the work of independent rapporteurs.

The briefing produced no major announcements. Instead, it offered a clear picture of multilateral work as it actually unfolds: cautious language, partial progress, unresolved gaps, and sustained engagement across multiple crises.

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