UN agencies warn of Ukraine strikes, Iran access gap and Ethiopian refugees in Kenya

UNITED NATIONS: The UN refugee agency, the UN nuclear watchdog and the UN children's agency issued separate warnings on Tuesday about Ukraine, Iran and Kenya.

UKRAINE: The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) urged continued international support for Ukraine's people as Russian airstrikes intensify and needs grow ahead of another bitterly cold winter. It described the attacks as "relentless". They are hitting critical energy infrastructure. Millions are without heat and electricity, and access to water and other essentials is limited.

"The increase in long-range missile and drone strikes means there is no safe place in Ukraine," said UNHCR director Philippe Leclerc. He added that humanitarian operations have also come under attack.

Between September and mid-October, several security incidents affected agency staff and partners, aid facilities or clearly marked relief vehicles. UNHCR expects displacement inside Ukraine to continue as evacuations from frontline areas increase. Nearly 5.2 million Ukrainian civilians remain refugees across Europe.

IRAN: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi told the Security Council that the agency still cannot confirm that none of Iran's safeguarded nuclear material has been diverted. Inspectors lost access more than a year ago after Israeli and US military strikes.

"This can and must be rectified," Mr Grossi said. He added that past work with Iran showed constructive engagement is possible.

Inspectors have not been able to return to sites hit by Israeli airstrikes in June 2025 and by joint Israeli and US attacks in early 2026. Mr Grossi said the agency has seen no sign of work to repair or rebuild them. He said satellite monitoring is no substitute for access on the ground.

The exception is the Bushehr nuclear power plant, where inspectors are working now. Iran's atomic energy agency has helped deliver the safeguards equipment needed to verify spent fuel before it is moved to dry storage, expected early next year.

Mr Grossi said normal inspections have not resumed. Iran has not provided the information and access needed to verify previously declared material at its safeguarded facilities, whether or not they were attacked. He singled out Iran's declared stock of 440kg of highly enriched uranium. The agency also seeks access to the Isfahan Fuel Enrichment Plant, which Iran declared just before the June 2025 strikes.

"Only diplomacy, underpinned by IAEA verification, can prevent nuclear proliferation in the long term," he said.

KENYA: The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Kenyan authorities are leading an emergency plan to host more than 36,600 Ethiopian refugees who fled escalating insecurity in the south of Ethiopia. Recent fighting has caused waves of displacement. It follows a decades-long struggle between forces from Ethiopia's Somali and Oromia regions over boundaries and resources.

Many displaced people are living with host communities. UN agencies, including the World Food Programme, the International Organization for Migration and UNHCR, have joined the government-led response. They are assessing needs and providing emergency supplies and technical support.

UNICEF said therapeutic nutrition supplies have been delivered to a local hospital. It is supporting malnutrition screening, infant and young child feeding, and safe water and hygiene services. It has also provided four 10,000-litre water tanks and hygiene kits for about 1,000 households.