UN News Today 17 December 2025 |

Ukraine suffering continues as electricity is cut for days amid ongoing Russian attacks

Imagine living through a war and not being able to make a meal or heat your home; that’s the reality today for thousands of Ukrainians who’ve seen repeated Russian attacks knock out their electricity for days at a time.

In an update from Ukraine, the UN’s top aid official there, Matthias Schmale, reported that half of the population in Kherson city, about 30,000 or more residents, have been without electricity for several days.

It’s not the only city without power, he told UN News on Wednesday, while on mission to southern Ukraine:

“The big challenge is how do you support people if electricity is cut off for several days, more than a week, let’s say, in a row, like is currently the case in Odesa. The authorities are fairly confident that they can deal with a couple of hours or even a couple of days in a row. but more than a week will be very challenging.”

The top UN aid coordinator said that one solution to the energy crisis was to ensure that schools and health centres are provided with generators and enough fuel, “so that people can gather there if there is a crisis and if needed for several days in a row”.

Key Gaza water pipeline repaired, but miserable conditions remain

To Gaza, and the welcome news that a key water pipeline in the south is back up and running, after a repair team was granted access to the site by the Israeli authorities.

The UN aid coordination office, OCHA, reported a week ago that the mains water line running from Israel into Khan Younis in southern Gaza had sustained damage and was out of service – representing a key concern for the enclave’s 2.1 million people. 

A request to reach the site and make repairs was denied at the time.

Meanwhile, amid cold winter temperatures, UN agencies and partners continue to work to help Gazans stay warm. 

This includes UNICEF, which welcomed support from Sweden for winterization supplies, sanitation, nutrition and humanitarian cash transfers for children and families.

The UN Development Programme, UNDP, also highlighted the critical need for safe and sturdy shelters. With assistance from the Republic of Korea, the agency has replaced more than 800 worn-out tents for displaced Gazans, but it is not enough, UNDP insisted.

Europe seeing ‘high or very high’ levels of early influenza infection, says WHO

The early arrival of seasonal influenza has continued sweeping across Europe, with at least 27 European countries reporting “high or very high” ’flu activity as of Wednesday.

In six countries – Ireland, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, and the UK – more than one in two patients with influenza-like symptoms tested positive for the virus, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The UN agency confirmed that that a new influenza variant called A (H3N2) now accounts for up to 90 per cent of all confirmed cases in the European region.

“It shows how just a small genetic variation in the flu virus can place enormous pressure on our health systems because people don’t have built-up immunity against it,” said Dr Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

He emphasized the importance of getting vaccinated quickly.

As in previous episodes of influenza, school-aged children are the primary drivers of community spread. But adults aged at least 65 are usually most at risk, constituting the majority of severe cases that require hospitalization.

Daniel Johnson, UN News.