UN Jan 12th, 2026: Ukraine, Iran and Sudan Dominate — as Reporters Press Harder, Sharper and Wider Than Ever

By: ATN News Team

UNHQ, New York: The United Nations on Monday delivered a sweeping global briefing that spanned winter warfare in Ukraine, deadly unrest in Iran, worsening displacement in Sudan, humanitarian collapse in Gaza and renewed instability in Syria. But as the session unfolded, it became clear that the real story was not only what was said at the podium — it was how assertively journalists were testing it.

The daily press briefing has increasingly become less of a routine update and more of a live stress test of the institution: of its information, its caution and its political boundaries.

Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric opened with Security Council business, flagging an upcoming meeting on Ukraine where senior officials are expected to warn that the new year has brought “no respite” from violence. Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo is expected to raise alarm over Russia’s reported use of the Oreshnik missile — a weapon described by U.N. officials as potentially devastating — only the second such use since 2024.

That warning was grounded in grim detail.

On the ground in Ukraine, the spokesperson relayed that U.N. humanitarian agencies reported civilians killed and injured across multiple regions, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia.

Hundreds of thousands of households were without electricity or heating as temperatures dropped toward minus 20 degrees Celsius. Ambulances were reportedly struck. Apartment blocks in Kyiv have gone without heating for days.

Aid workers have responded with mobile warming centers, hot meals, emergency supplies and convoys to frontline communities, but access remains constrained and humanitarian needs are rising. A new humanitarian appeal for 2026 is expected to be launched this week.

From Ukraine, the briefing pivoted sharply to Iran.

Dujarric reiterated the Secretary-General’s statement from the previous day, saying António Guterres was “shocked” by reports of excessive force against protesters across Iran, resulting in “scores of deaths.” The language was direct: protesters must be able to speak freely, force must be restrained, and communications must be restored.

That tone carried directly into the question-and-answer session.

Edith Lederer of The Associated Press asked whether the Secretary-General had spoken with senior Iranian officials. He has not, Dujarric said, citing communications challenges inside Iran. She then asked whether the U.N. still has staff on the ground. It does, he confirmed, and they are safe.

The questioning quickly sharpened.

Dezhi Jiang of Xinhua asked whether the Secretary-General plans to reach out to Iranian leaders. Dujarric repeated that he would share updates when available. When Dezhi raised President Donald Trump’s hints at possible military action, the spokesperson acknowledged concern over repression inside Iran but also concern over increasingly “warlike rhetoric” around the crisis, stressing that the Secretary-General urges diplomacy, not escalation.

When asked directly whether foreign intervention would help, Dujarric pointed reporters back to the U.N. Charter.

One of the clearest exchanges of the briefing came next.

Asked whether the use of lethal force against peaceful protesters in Iran constitutes a violation of international human rights law, Dujarric answered plainly: “It is.”

The room noticeably paused.

That candor stood in contrast to the more careful phrasing that followed on Gaza.

Throughout the briefing, the spokesperson described worsening conditions there: storms tearing through tent camps, infants dying from hypothermia, more than one million people still urgently in need of shelter, and education supplies reportedly still blocked from entering by Israeli authorities.

On Gaza, questioning grew sharper. A correspondent cited local reports that more than 20 displaced Palestinians, most of them children, had died from exposure to extreme cold and asked whether restrictions were still limiting the entry of winter supplies. The same line of questioning raised concerns about Israel’s reported bans on dozens of NGOs and whether those measures were further constraining humanitarian access. Dujarric acknowledged that restrictions on international NGOs “do not help” and warned that they make life worse for civilians, stressing that the humanitarian operation depends heavily on NGO partners for last-mile delivery.

On Syria, reporters pressed about renewed displacement in Aleppo — now estimated by the spokesperson at roughly 119,000 people based on partner reporting. Questions grew increasingly pointed: Are minorities being targeted? Are crimes being committed? Does the Secretary-General trust the interim authorities?

Dujarric avoided political judgments, but his concern was clear. “We continue to be concerned,” he said. “Minorities need to feel safe. And where crimes are committed, there must be accountability.”

The Sudan segment carried its own weight. The spokesperson described hospitals knocked out by shelling, doctors killed, entire camps at capacity and sanitation systems collapsing. Reporters asked whether Sudan’s government returning to Khartoum would affect humanitarian operations. The response was pragmatic: the U.N. will go wherever it is safe enough to operate.

Even on technical issues — sanctions, U.N. dues, internal reforms — the press corps showed little appetite for procedural answers.

One journalist questioned whether current sanctions models are outdated and disproportionately harm civilians. Dujarric agreed that sanctions often hurt populations more than leaders and reiterated the U.N.’s longstanding concern over unilateral sanctions.

Another asked for the list of countries that have not paid their dues. “We can share that,” Dujarric said. “It’s public.”

Even the lighter moments reflected the evolving tone.

When a journalist promised a question would be the “last one,” Dujarric replied dryly: “Don’t give me promises you can’t keep.”

It drew a brief laugh — but it also captured the mood of the room: more candid, more persistent, more engaged.

By the end of the session, this was no longer a room of passive note-takers. Reporters cited external reports, tested claims, pursued follow-ups and forced clarifications.

The modern U.N. briefing has become more than a venue for updates. It is an arena — where diplomacy meets scrutiny, where narratives collide in real time, and where institutional credibility is tested day after day.

On Monday, the questions were as revealing as the answers.