“When people are coming out of the area, they are reporting widespread violence, sexual abuse, civilians who are sometimes being shot on sight,” said the Director General of the UN migration agency (IOM), Amy Pope, during a briefing on Wednesday.
“Many described leaving the area and seeing dead bodies along the way.” She said she had met women and children who had been walking for days in some instances, “hiding from drones, carrying only their children.”
The statements come amid intensified violence and spreading in Sudan, following the capture of regional capital El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last month from government troops, after more than 500 days of siege.
Ms. Pope said that the scale of need is “coinciding at a time when there have been unprecedented humanitarian cuts to humanitarian assistance around the world.”
Less than 5,000 aid kits available
The IOM is providing shelter, basic dignity kits and cooking kits to those who need them most, but right now, the funding for that response is far below what is needed, Ms. Pope warned, at only eight per cent.
Fewer than 5,000 kits were available at a warehouse in Port Sudan, and 35 IOM tents are out for distribution.
Some countries and partners have been asking for additional information or seeking data on the funding situation, but the scale of the need is so high that the agency is “trying to play catch up at this moment in time,” Ms. Pope said.
Joint humanitarian efforts
IOM is liaising with the UN relief coordination office (OCHA) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to secure resources.
“By visiting various parts of the country, we can provide a comprehensive picture to the world of what needs to happen to support especially vulnerable civilians who are fleeing violence.”
The UN relief chief Tom Fletcher has been in Sudan this week and is expected to brief journalists from there on Monday.
Ms. Pope said that while IOM has trucks going into Tawila, a city around 60 kilometres from El Fasher, access is extremely limited and the agency is providing support mainly to those who are leaving.
Many humanitarian workers have also been the victims of violence over the past few months, with some wounded or killed, Ms. Pope added.
Preparations for ‘intensified hostilities’
UN human rights chief Volker Türk warned on Wednesday that there’s been no let-up in the killing of civilians.
Addressing the French Senate, he said that his office (OHCHR) continues to receive alarming reports that the RSF is “carrying out atrocity crimes, including summary executions, sexual violence and other violations.”
He added that in the Kordofan region there were “clear preparations for intensified hostilities as killings and destruction increase.”
Mr. Türk urged countries to respect the Security Council’s arms embargo in Darfur, stressing that civilian protection, humanitarian access and a return to civilian rule are the priorities.
Remarks by Eurogroup President Paschal Donohoe on macroeconomic situation, competitiveness, euro area challenges in a global context, while also addressing fiscal policy coordination, Banking Union and the progress made on the digital euro and stablecoins.
“The number of casualties for the first ten months of 2025 (12,062) has already exceeded the total for all of 2024 (9,112),” says the report of the United Nations Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).
In total, there have been 53,006 civilian casualties, including 14,534 deaths, since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Frontline communities remain most exposed, largely due to long-range missile and drone strikes, which account for 65% of deaths and injuries, particularly in the Kherson, Kharkiv and Donetsk regions.
“At least 148 civilians were killed and 929 injured in October, reflecting the high numbers of the previous two months,” the UN observer mission said.
Increased attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure
Meanwhile, almost four years after the start of the war, Ukraine faces intensifying attacks on energy infrastructure.
In October and November, further strikes took place on the electricity grid, causing further power outages across the country.
Last month, three large-scale attacks targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leading to emergency power outages across much of the country.
“As Ukrainian civilians prepare for another winter, increased attacks on energy infrastructure and resulting power outages increase the risks for the population,” said Danielle Bell, head of the monitoring mission.
“Any prolonged interruption to the supply of heat, electricity or water would create extreme hardship, particularly for the elderly, people with disabilities, families with young children and women who often have the primary responsibility for providing care and ensuring access to their families’ basic needs,” she added.
The UN and its partners continue to work closely with people on the ground to provide life-saving assistance to the hardest-hit communities.
Thirteen survivors were rescued by Malaysian authorities, but dozens remain missing.
Another ship with around 230 people on board is believed to still be at sea, raising fears of another tragedy.
Thousands of Rohingya refugees continue to attempt perilous journeys across the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea in search of safety, as conditions deteriorate in camps in Bangladesh and conflict-hit Myanmar.
The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCRand the International Organization for Migration (IOM) expressed deep concern over the increasing human losses, stressing that more than 600 people have already died or gone missing at sea this year.
Women and children make up more than two-thirds of those making these dangerous crossings.
The agencies welcomed the rescue efforts by Malaysian authorities and local communities and called for stronger regional cooperation to strengthen search and rescue capabilities, ensure safe disembarkation and address the root causes of displacement in Myanmar.
In Gaza, a immunization, nutrition and health catch-up campaign is underway to reach more than 40,000 children under the age of three who have not received routine vaccinations due to two years of conflict.
UNICEFThe United Nations Children’s Fund warned on Tuesday that vaccination rates in the enclave had fallen below 70 percent – a key threshold for keeping preventable diseases at bay.
The campaign has already reached thousands of children after starting this weekend. It will take place in three rounds: this month, December and January.
UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires noted that before the war, Gaza had 98 percent vaccination coverage and 55 vaccination sites: “Today, coverage has fallen below 70 percent with 31 vaccination centers destroyed or damaged. »
While a fragile ceasefire remains in place in Gaza, Pires said the biggest problem is the delivery of essential medical equipment to the Strip, essential to the success of the campaign.
That includes 1.6 million syringes, but the vast majority are still outside the enclave, UNICEF’s Pires said.
Fuel supply
Between Friday and Monday, the United Nations Office for Project Services distributed over 619,000 liters of diesel to humanitarian partners to support critical operations including water services, sanitation, hygiene, health, logistics, rubble removal, education, nutrition and protection.
Between 1 November and Sunday, UN partners in Gaza provided general food assistance to some 255,000 people, distributing two food parcels per household.
“A month after the start of the ceasefire, our partners working on food security are distributing around 160,000 packs of bread every day, produced by 19 UN-supported bakeries, including nine in northern Gaza,” said deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq.
Loan initiative improves access for vulnerable food producers
A UN-backed lending initiative is underway, aimed at helping small farmers and producers in the Sahara and beyond, who are held back by the difficulties they often face in obtaining commercial loans.
Announcing the news on Tuesday, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) explained that producers face barriers to accessing funds because the sector is perceived as riskier than others, due to its exposure to climate shocks and price volatility.
Credit where credit is due
But thanks to the European Union which provides guarantees to the tune of 109.5 million euros, the Italian public development bank CDP will now grant credits to approved lenders operating in Africa and Turkey.
FAO’s role is to provide technical expertise in food, agriculture and finance to the program’s local lenders.
“Knowledge is the best instrument to reduce risks,” said the head of the UN agency, Qu Dongyu.
In Cubamore than 54,000 people remain displaced, including 7,500 residing in official shelters, according to the UN relief coordination office, OCHA. The scale of damage is now much higher than initial estimates, with more than 600 health facilities and 90,000 households affected.
UN agencies are supporting the national response, assisting around 140,000 people in shelters and community kitchens, and distributing agricultural tools and livestock feed to restore livelihoods.
They also provide equipment to strengthen disease control and prevention efforts and deliver medical supplies to strengthen reproductive health services, including maternal care.
In Jamaicaaccess to isolated communities is improving but remains precarious.
Only two communities are still inaccessible – down from 27 last week – although additional rainfall could limit access once again.
Housing remains a major concern. Some 40,000 tarpaulins intended for delivery were not transported due to blocked and damaged roads. The United Nations World Food Program (PAM) has so far helped 9,000 people in the hard-hit Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth areas, and plans to extend cash assistance to up to 90,000 households when conditions permit.
In Haitiwhere Hurricane Melissa left more than 40 dead, humanitarian partners are expanding their operations amid significant damage in several departments.
The UN and partners also distributed hygiene kits, restored electricity for vaccine refrigeration and provided psychosocial support in schools.
They are also delivering 15 days of food rations to hard-hit southern areas. In Petit Goâve, food aid is being provided to more than 40,000 people, and further distributions are planned this week.
To overcome access challenges, the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) has expanded its operations with five new access points to reach isolated communities.
Philippines: Response intensifies after back-to-back typhoons
In the Philippines, WFP is scaling up emergency operations following Typhoon Kalmaegi and Super Typhoon Fung-Wong, which affected 8.3 million people and displaced more than 1.4 million people in Luzon, the country’s largest and most populous island.
Before landfall, the agency distributed emergency cash transfers to more than 210,000 people to help families evacuate and prepare.
Since the storms, WFP has provided 187,000 family food packages, enough to feed nearly a million people for several days.
Telecommunications units and generators have also been deployed to restore connectivity, while logistics teams are supporting relief efforts in 14 provinces.
UN News on Tuesday interviewed Arnaud Peral, UN resident coordinator in the country, who highlighted the relative success of government-led preparedness and early warning systems – fully supported by UN agencies.
The European Commission’s new European Democracy Shield and civil society strategy will protect our democracies and civil society from the threat posed by foreign interference and disinformation. Find out more.
“Women speaking to us from El Fasher, the heart of Sudan’s latest catastrophe, tell us that they’ve endured starvation…displacement, rape and bombardment,” Anna Mutavati, UN Women Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, told reporters in Geneva. “Pregnant women have given birth in the streets as the last remaining maternity hospitals were looted and destroyed.”
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia captured North Darfur state capital El Fasher after more than 500 days of siege in late October, amid reports of widespread atrocities including summary executions and sexual violence.
Fighting erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary RSF when a transition to civilian rule broke down, stemming from the overthrow of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir four years earlier. The ensuing heavy fighting has devastated communities, displaced millions and exacerbated an already dire humanitarian crisis.
In 2008, the UN Security Council recognised that rape in conflict and other forms of sexual violence can constitute a war crime, a crime against humanity and a component of genocide.
Find out how one war criminal was brought to justice in the DR Congo here, including for using rape as a weapon of conflict.
Ms. Mutavati said that the situation is worsening dramatically as fighting spreads around the city, prompting mass displacement. Thousands of women and girls have fled to other localities in North Darfur including Tawila, which is some 70 kilometres away, Korma and Malit, where a humanitarian presence is “very scarce”.
On Monday, UN aid coordination office OCHA said that nearly 89,000 people have fled from the area, some seeking refuge near the Sudan-Chad border.
“What the women tell us is that on their horrific journey…every step that they’ve taken to fetch water, to collect firewood or to stand in a food line has carried a high risk of sexual violence,” the UN Women representative said. “There is mounting evidence that rape is being deliberately and systematically used as a weapon of war.”
Warning that women’s bodies “have just become a crime scene in Sudan”, Ms. Mutavati insisted that there are “no safe spaces” left where women can find protection or access basic psychosocial care.
“Basic dignity has also collapsed,” the UN Women official insisted, explaining that in North Darfur a single packet of sanitary towels costs around $27, while humanitarian cash assistance amounts to slightly below $150 per month for a family of six, on average.
Ms. Mutavati spoke of “impossible decisions” having to be made by families “forced to choose between food and medicine and dignity”.
“The essential needs of women and girls fall to the very bottom of that list,” she said.
Ms. Mutavati also said that in Sudan – like in other crises – “women and girls eat the least and they eat last”.
“Most women and girls may not be eating at all in Sudan…Women often skip meals so that their children can eat, while adolescent girls frequently get the smallest share, undermining their long-term nutrition and health,” she said.
“In besieged, remote areas like Darfur or Kordofan, women and girls are often the ones that are scavenging for survival,” Ms. Mutavati added, citing reports of women “foraging for wild leaves and berries to boil into soup” while facing additional risks of violence.
Starvation takes hold
In early November, the latest UN-backed IPC food security analysis confirmed famine conditions in El Fasher and in the capital of South Kordofan state, Kadugli.
Ms. Mutavati also said that health workers report rising cases of severe acute malnutrition in infants, often linked to their starving mothers’ reduced ability to breastfeed.
“There’s a ripple effect of the hunger that women are experiencing,” she warned.
Calling for an end to the violence, for broader humanitarian access and for increased support to women-led soup kitchens and other aid providers, Ms. Mutavati stressed that women and girls in Sudan “are the measure of our shared humanity”.
“Every day that the world delays to act on Sudan, another woman gives birth under fire or buries her child in hunger, or disappears without justice,” she concluded.
Relief chief presses for aid access
The UN’s top humanitarian official, Tom Fletcher, arrived in Sudan on Monday to press for an end to atrocities and to push for unhindered access for aid workers.
The situation in North Darfur remains volatile following the fall of El Fasher. Although major clashes have eased, civilians still face sporadic attacks, looting and gender-based violence.
In South Kordofan, a drone strike reportedly hit the town of Um Barmbeeta, destroying a school and injuring several displaced people, while insecurity continues to block access to areas where thousands remain cut off from aid.
More than 12,000 people have fled violence in Darfur and Kordofan to seek safety in White Nile State since late October, straining already scarce resources. The UN has again called for the protection of civilians and for aid workers to be granted safe and sustained access across frontlines.
In Cuba, more than 54,000 people remain displaced, including 7,500 staying in official shelters, according to the UN relief coordination office, OCHA. The scale of damage is now significantly higher than initial estimates, with more than 600 health facilities and 90,000 homes affected.
UN agencies are supporting the national response, having assisted about 140,000 people in shelters and community kitchens, and distributing agricultural tools and livestock feed to restore livelihoods.
They are also supplying equipment to bolster disease control and prevention efforts and delivering medical supplies to reinforce reproductive health services, including maternal care.
In Jamaica, access to isolated communities is improving but remains precarious.
Only two communities are still unreachable – down from 27 last week – though additional rainfall could limit access once again.
Shelter remains a critical concern. Some 40,000 tarpaulins earmarked for delivery have not been transported due to blocked and damaged roads. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has so far assisted 9,000 people in hard-hit Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth, with plans to extend cash assistance to up to 90,000 households as conditions allow.
In Haiti, where Hurricane Melissa claimed more than 40 lives, humanitarian partners are expanding operations amid extensive damage across multiple departments.
The UN and partners have also distributed hygiene kits and restored electricity for vaccine refrigeration and providing psychosocial support in schools.
They are also delivering 15-day food rations to hard-hit areas in the south. In Petit Goâve, food assistance is being provided to more than 40,000 people, with further distributions planned this week.
To overcome access challenges, the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) has expanded operations with five new access points to reach isolated communities.
Philippines: Response scales up after back-to-back typhoons
In the Philippines, the WFP is scaling up emergency operations following back-to-back Typhoon Kalmaegi and Super Typhoon Fung-Wong, which have affected 8.3 million people and displaced over 1.4 million across Luzon – the country’s largest and most populous island.
Ahead of landfall, the agency delivered emergency cash transfers to more than 210,000 people to help families evacuate and prepare.
Since the storms, WFP has provided 187,000 family food packs, enough to sustain nearly one million people for several days.
Telecommunications units and generators have also been deployed to restore connectivity, while logistics teams support relief efforts across 14 provinces.
UN News interviewed Arnaud Peral, the UN Resident Coordinator in the country, on Tuesday who highlighted the relative success of Government-led preparedness and early warning systems – fully supported by UN agencies.
The project will improve the reliability and efficiency of Panama’s power grid, strengthening security of supply and access to electricity for households and businesses.
The agreement contributes to the EIB Group’s climate action and environmental sustainability goals.
This is the largest loan signed by the EIB for a private company in Central America.
EIB Global, the international partnerships and development arm of the European Investment Bank (EIB), and Naturgy Energy Group, via its Panamanian distribution companies EDEMET, S.A. and EDECHI, S.A., have signed a $300 million framework loan to back the modernisation and expansion of Panama’s power grid. This is the largest loan signed by the EIB for a private company in Central America.
The loan is guaranteed by Spanish export credit agency CESCE. This guarantee was developed jointly by the EIB and CESCE to support green projects led by Spanish companies outside Spain, contributing to the climate action and environmental sustainability goals promoted by the European Union within and beyond its borders.
This project will improve the reliability and efficiency of electricity supply in the country, connect new users, including low-income households, and enable greater integration of renewable energy sources. The agreement is an example of public-private sector cooperation to promote the energy transition and sustainable development in Panama.
The signature event was attended by EIB Group President Nadia Calviño, Naturgy Chairman and CEO Francisco Reynés, CESCE CEO Pablo de Ramón-Laca, EIB Vice-President Ioannis Tsakiris, EU ambassador to Panama Isabela Matusz and Spanish ambassador to Panama Guzmán Palacios Fernández.
Several members of the government of Panama were also present: Minister for the Economy and Finance Felipe Chapman, Minister of the Presidency Juan Carlos Orillac, Trade and Industry Minister Julio Moltó, Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha, Minister for Canal Affairs José Ramón Icaza, Mayor of Panama Mayer Mizrachi, Energy Secretary of the Government of Panama Rodrigo Rodríguez and National Public Services Authority (ASEP) General Administrator Zelmar Rodríguez Crespo. The board of directors of Naturgy Panamá was also in attendance.
“This EIB financing will support the modernisation of Panama’s energy infrastructure, strengthening regional energy integration. It is an example of how partnerships are key to providing people with access to a cleaner and more secure energy supply,” said EIB Group President Nadia Calviño.
“This loan will strengthen Naturgy’s investments in Panama, and reflects our commitment and intention to stay in the country. The new investments in Panama’s power grid will help improve service quality for our customers and security of supply, while promoting a more efficient, secure and sustainable energy model,” added Naturgy Chairman and CEO Francisco Reynés.
CESCE CEO Pablo de Ramón-Laca highlighted “the leadership of Spanish companies in the implementation of key projects for Panama’s economic development.” He also stressed the importance of the agreement with the EIB that “expands CESCE’s capacity to support the international expansion of Spanish companies.”
“This collaboration with Naturgy and CESCE reflects the EIB’s role as a catalyst for sustainable investments connecting Europe with Latin America. This project will drive the modernisation of Panama’s electricity system and facilitate access to cleaner, more efficient and more affordable energy for thousands of homes and businesses. It is a clear example of how the Team Europe approach and the Global Gateway initiative have a real impact on people’s lives and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient energy future,” said EIB Vice-President Ioannis Tsakiris.
Modernising electricity infrastructure to promote growth in Panama
This initiative is a major step forward for the development of Panama’s energy infrastructure. The investment programme will expand and modernise power distribution grids across the country, cutting technical and commercial losses, while also expanding the capacity and resilience of the electricity system. In addition, it will facilitate the connection of new users and help integrate renewable energy, especially solar energy. By improving the grid’s operational efficiency and reliability, the project is expected to help reduce electricity costs and strengthen energy security, benefiting the most vulnerable communities in particular. This investment will contribute to long-term energy security, economic growth and climate change mitigation in Panama, and promote European participation in Latin America’s sustainable energy transition.
Strengthening EU-Latin America cooperation for energy infrastructure
The operation is part of the EU Global Gateway Investment Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean, under the flagship initiative to bolster the Central American Regional Electricity Market (MER). It will help achieve Panama’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement by enabling the integration of new renewable energy capacity and improving overall system efficiency. The project is an example of the EIB’s key role as the financial partner of European companies expanding investments in sustainable infrastructure in Latin America.
To this end, at the recent CELAC-EU (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Summit in Colombia, the EIB presented a new €1 billion financing initiative to back investment in integrating power grids across Central America. This lending envelope will support the construction and upgrading of transmission and distribution infrastructure and promote renewable energy generation in Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Belize. The operation aims to help the region advance its energy transition and decarbonisation goals, while improving access to reliable and affordable electricity.
Background information
About EIB Global:
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives.
EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance, and a key partner of the Global Gateway. It aims to support around €100 billion of investment by the end of 2027. EIB Global brings the EIB Group closer to people, companies and institutions through its offices across the world. Photos of EIB headquarters for media use are available here.
The EIB in Latin America and the Caribbean:
The European Investment Bank has been providing economic support for projects in Latin America and the Caribbean since 2022, facilitating long-term investment with favourable conditions and providing the technical support needed to ensure that these projects deliver positive social, economic and environmental results. Since the EIB began operating in Latin America in 1993 and the Caribbean in 1978, it has provided total financing of more than €17 billion to support over 350 projects in 30 countries in the region.
About the Global Gateway Investment Agenda:
EIB Global is a key partner in the implementation of the European Union’s Global Gateway Investment Agenda, supporting sound projects that improve global and regional connectivity in the digital, climate, transport, health, energy and education sectors. Investing in connectivity is at the very heart of what EIB Global does, building on the Bank’s 65 years of experience in this domain.
About Naturgy:
Naturgy is an energy multinational with a diversified international business portfolio. In addition to Spain, the group is also active in Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Panama), the United States, Australia and the rest of Europe. It supplies gas and electricity to over 18 million customers in the above countries, operating in both regulated and liberalised markets. It works in electricity generation, distribution and sale, as well as in gas infrastructure, distribution and sale. The group has electricity generation capacity of 18.4 GW across the world, with a diversified mix including 7.7 GW of renewable capacity.
Naturgy’s commitment to Panama:
Naturgy has made record investments of $500 million, committed in the income limit (IMP) tariff review 2022-2026. For 2026-2030 (ASEP approval pending), estimated investment of over $600 million will go to projects focused on improving quality, growing demand, cutting losses and modernising the grid. Since the end of 2024, the company has concluded 14 substation and distribution line projects totalling $46 million. Naturgy Panamá is also now implementing a further 24 strategic projects with associated investment of $215 million.
Naturgy’s efforts over the past year, with approval from the regulatory authority, have led to a major improvement in service quality, among other indicators. Since the implementation of the company’s quality plan, the unplanned system average interruption duration index (SAIDI) has been reduced by 23%, and the unplanned system average interruption frequency index (SAIFI) has fallen by 25% (September 2024 to September 2025).
About CESCE:
CESCE is Spain’s export credit agency. It has a wide range of insurance policies and guarantees to help make Spanish companies’ international activities more competitive and secure.
