Addressing the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Mr. Türk said that although the “killing on the streets of Iran may have subsided…the brutality continues”.

He said that violent repression did not solve any of Iran’s problems but instead created conditions for further violations, instability and bloodshed.

“We have indications that the security forces made mass arrests in several cities, even pursuing injured people into hospitals, and detaining lawyers, human rights defenders, activists, and ordinary civilians,” he told diplomats.

Prosecutions ongoing

“The Tehran Prosecutor’s Office has reportedly opened criminal cases against athletes, actors, people involved in the movie industry, and the owners of cafes, on charges of supporting the protests,” Mr. Türk continued. 

Protests erupted across Iran on 28 December in response to the collapse of the national currency, soaring inflation and worsening living conditions.

Also speaking at the Council, former international prosecutor Payam Akhavan described how one protester pretended to be dead in a body-bag for three days until his parents found him. 

The civil society representative said that parents looking for their relatives usually started at hospitals, where “many of the wounded (protesters) have been abducted and killed”. 

Others have been forced to sign confessions which blame imaginary “terrorists” for the murder of their children, Mr. Akhavan maintained.

He cited a medical report circulating among Iranian doctors that 16,500 people had been killed during the demonstrations. “The number increases by the day, because the killings haven’t stopped,” he said.

Rejection of Myanmar military’s ‘fraudulent’ election must be unequivocal: UN independent expert

The international community must unequivocally reject as illegitimate the election results in Myanmar and any power arrangement that follows, said Tom Andrews, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar on Friday.

The UN-appointed independent expert described the elections, which began in late December and are expected to be concluded this weekend, as ‘fraudulent’, urging countries not to accept the results. 

“The junta is banking on the world’s fatigue, hoping that the international community will accept military rule dressed up in civilian clothing,” he said. “Governments must not allow that to happen.”

‘Fear and coercion’

The junta’s election scheme was marked by violence, low turnout and widespread coercion, said Mr. Andrews.

Voters reported being monitored and pressured by local authorities, with threats explicit or implied. Junta officials were pushing citizens to polling stations even as military jets bombed villages throughout the country.

Mr. Andrews added that the junta banned credible opposition parties, jailed popular political figures and muzzled the press, “crushing fundamental freedoms, and using fear and coercion to drive a reluctant electorate to the polls.”

UN migration chief backs EU presidency efforts on migration

This week, the UN migration agency (IOM) Chief Amy Pope concluded a visit to Cyprus after a round of high-level talks, which focused on advancing a comprehensive migration and asylum agenda. 

“Cyprus knows what it means to be on the frontline – and that experience really matters right now,” said Ms Pope. “As the European Union (EU) moves from agreement to action, this is the moment to make sure policies really work – for migrants, for communities, and countries.

This trip marks the IOM Chief’s first visit to Cyprus in her current role, as Cyprus assumes the EU Council Presidency and the EU begins implementing the landmark Migration and Asylum Pact.

Humane returns 

With persistent instability Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan and the Sahel, Ms Pope reaffirmed IOM’s support and engagement with the EU to ensure refugee returns are humane and dignified. 

During her visit, she underscored the urgent need to address conditions along key migration routes, with IOM emphasising efforts to curb irregular migration, disrupt smuggling networks, meet humanitarian needs, and save lives.

Ms Pope also called for stronger migration data systems and evidence-based policymaking.

Nearly 600,000 people upended by Mozambique floods

Nearly 600,000 people have been affected by severe flooding across southern and central Mozambique. Weeks of heavy and sustained rainfall have caused homes to collapse and roads to wash away, displacing more than 73,000 people, according to figures from the IOM. 

Flooding has been reported in 10 of Mozambique’s 11 provinces, with Gaza Province “hosting significant concentrations of displaced people”. Humanitarian response partners expect reported figures to rise as access to affected communities improves.

IOM teams there have described acute shortages of shelter, constraints on food and basic services, overcrowded centres, and limited access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene – increasing the risk of waterborne diseases spreading.

Preliminary reports from the International Red Cross (IFRC) indicated between 50 and 60 deaths, a figure likely to rise as waters levels recede. 

Response ahead of cyclone season 

Following a Government request for international support on 16 January including air assets for search and rescue efforts, the IOM plans to appeal for up to $20 million to reinforce life-saving assistance and strengthen water, sanitation and hygiene. 

With this being only the start of the cyclone season and dams at near capacity, representatives from the IFRC have underscored the need for investment in early warning systems, climate‑resilient infrastructure, and locally led preparedness. 

Russian forces continue to attack Ukraine’s energy grid, leaving families without electricity and heating as temperatures plummet to -20° Celsius. 

Since 2022, the Government has established so-called “Invincibility Points” – located in tents or public buildings such as schools and libraries – where people can go to escape the cold, charge electronic devices and receive basic support.  

Additional initiatives have also been launched, including mobile heating points operated by the State Emergency Services and Ukraine Red Cross Society. Humanitarian partners have supported these efforts with equipment, hot meals and technical assistance. 

 A ‘very tough’ winter 

A UN team led by the Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, recently visited various heating points and mobile kitchens in Boryspil, a town in the Kyiv region. 

They met residents, authorities, first responders, as well as aid organizations, at an Invincibility Point in a tent. 

“This winter has been very tough for us,” said Kateryna, a mother of two young children who lives on the outskirts of the town.  

“We have no electricity at home. We came here to warm up, charge our phones and the children’s devices. It was very cold in our house.” 

Food, warmth and support 

A large food truck was set up near the tent where the NGO Food Without Borders prepared hot meals in a mobile kitchen so that people affected by the cold and power outages could get something to eat.  

The group provided similar services after attacks last November in Shostka, located in the Sumy region. 

“This is one of many remarkable initiatives supporting people across Ukraine during this harsh winter,” said Mr. Schmale.  

“As attacks on energy infrastructure continue, many people face prolonged outages of electricity, heating and water, as well as limited ability to prepare hot food.” 

Falling temperatures 

Mr. Schmale also visited a heating point set up by the Ukrainian Red Cross in Boryspil town. Viktor, a volunteer at the site, described the harsh conditions many people there are facing.  

“In some apartments, the temperature drops to as low as five degrees Celsius,” he said. 

“People spend long hours in our warm tent, especially in the evenings, when temperatures fall even further at night.” 

© UNOCHA/Viktoriia Andriievska

A woman helps herself to a hot meal in a heated tent in Boryspil.

Families left freezing 

Humanitarians are also carrying out activities under a winter response plan launched last year which aims to reach 1.7 million people across Ukraine between October and March.  

Despite these efforts, the rapidly evolving situation – including large-scale and sustained attacks on energy infrastructure – has caused service disruptions that far exceed the scenarios the plan anticipates. 

Frequent power disruptions leave many families in freezing conditions. Many older persons and people with disabilities are often stuck in their homes, in high-rise apartment buildings, without electricity and heating, unable to cook hot meals or recharge their devices to stay connected. 

Families with children are also left wondering how to keep them safe and healthy. 

The UN and partners are seeking $2.3 million to help 4.1 million of the most vulnerable people in Ukraine this year. 

For families contending with the harsh winter weather, having a place where you can warm up, eat a hot meal and recharge a phone can mean the difference between coping and serious health risks.