UN News Today 27 January 2026 |

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This is UN News Today with me, Charlotte Frantz. The headlines:  

The UN honours Holocaust survivors, stressing that with antisemitism raging worldwide, we must choose hope over hate.

In Gaza, restoring shattered education systems must be an immediate priority as the fragile ceasefire holds, says UNICEF. 

AND…

In Syria, refugees continue returning home, despite renewed internal displacement fuelled by local conflict… 

UN chief calls for hope and solidarity on Holocaust Remembrance Day

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered a solemn address during a ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day, reflecting on the lives lost and the lessons that endure. 

He honoured Holocaust survivors and their families, remembering the six million Jews murdered in Nazi death camps, alongside Roma and Sinti communities, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ individuals, and many others. 

He emphasised that remembrance is not just about honouring the past – it’s a responsibility, a pledge to defend dignity, protect the vulnerable, and preserve the stories of those who resisted hatred and injustice. 

As antisemitism rages around the world, he said Tuesday’s commemoration in New York, filled him with hope. 

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“You are here because you choose hope over hate. You choose remembrance as a living force – a shield against prejudice, a spark for justice, a pledge to protect every human being.”

Gaza: Restoring shattered education system must be a priority

Restoring Gaza’s shattered education system is “lifesaving” and getting children back into schools must be an immediate priority, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.

Spokesperson James Elder said despite the ceasefire, 60 per cent of school-aged children still have no access to in-person learning and more than 90 per cent of schools have been damaged or destroyed. 

Before the Israel-Hamas war, Palestinians in Gaza had some of the highest literacy rates in the world, he reminded journalists at Tuesday’s briefing in Geneva. 

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“Today, that legacy is very much under attack. Schools, universities and libraries have been destroyed, and years of progress have been erased. This isn’t just physical destruction. It is an assault on the future itself.”

Mr. Elder said that working with the local education ministry, the UN relief agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) and other partners, UNICEF would scale up its “Back to Learning” programme in the Strip, to reach 336,000 children this year.

Syria sees returns despite fresh displacement

After more than a decade of war, Syria is witnessing significant refugee and internal displacement returns – even as renewed hostilities in parts of the country force others to flee once again.

Nearly 1.4 million refugees have returned from neighbouring countries since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. Almost two million internally displaced Syrians have also headed back to their areas of origin.

But fresh sectarian fighting in Aleppo and areas of the northeast has triggered new displacement, while harsh winter conditions are compounding humanitarian needs.

Here’s Céline Schmitt, spokesperson for the UN refugee agency, UNHCR:

“Nearly 80 per cent of those who were displaced around Aleppo are going back and we are also supporting them of course if they are willing to go back because the needs still remain high. Now in the northeast of Syria, tens of thousands of people have been displaced. Some are now in camps for displaced people. So, this is the assistance we are providing in addition again to protection assistance in the community centres and for that of course working a lot with local partners.”

Charlotte Frantz, UN News