UN Daily Press Briefing: Gaza, Yemen, Sudan, Haiti, and Global Affairs

Occupied Palestinian Territory & Gaza

• 🕊️ Encouragement that parties have reaffirmed commitments to implementing the ceasefire in Gaza.
• ⚠️ Concern remains over all acts of violence and reported attacks, urging parties to honor commitments and protect civilians.
• 🤝 The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, visited Gaza, meeting with humanitarian partners and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss needs and the ceasefire.
• 💰 The Minderoo Foundation announced a $10 million Australian dollar contribution for humanitarian efforts in Gaza.
• 🏫 UNRWA is expanding temporary learning spaces for displaced people, and aid distribution has resumed in some areas.
• 🔍 The UN has deployed monitors at the Kerem Shalom crossing for better visibility into aid flow.
• ⛰️ Documented 71 settler attacks in the West Bank between October 7-13, impacting Palestinians and property.

Yemen

• 🕊️ All 15 UN international staff are now free to move within the UN compound in Sanaa, and the five detained national staff have been released.
• ⚠️ However, 53 national colleagues in Yemen continue to be arbitrarily detained.
• 📞 The Secretary-General spoke with the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Oman regarding the situation in the Middle East, including Yemen.

Sudan

• ⚠️ Ongoing violence across Sudan is putting civilians at grave risk and forcing displacement.
• 💥 Fighting has escalated in North and West Darfur states, with drone strikes and clashes causing civilian casualties and displacement.
• 📉 Tensions are rising in the Kordofan region, and towns like Dilling and Kadugli remain under siege with worsening shortages.
• 🆘 Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the violence, and humanitarian access is urgently needed.

Haiti

• ⚠️ A resurgence of cholera has been reported in the Ouest department, with new cases and deaths confirmed.
• 🚨 Pétion-Ville and parts of Port-au-Prince are on red alert due to concerns of cholera spreading at internally displaced person sites.
• 🧼 Haiti's Ministry of Health, with UN support, has stepped up disinfection campaigns and awareness activities.
• 🏥 Basic services in Port-au-Prince have deteriorated, with many health facilities not fully operational.

Global Travel & Events

• ✈️ The Secretary-General is traveling to Geneva for the World Meteorological Congress, to UNCTAD sessions, and to launch the Sevilla Forum on debt.
• 💻 He will also visit Hanoi for the opening of the UN Convention Against Cybercrime and hold bilateral meetings.
• 🌏 In Kuala Lumpur, he will attend the ASEAN UN Summit and engage in bilateral discussions.
• 🗓️ The UN is commemorating its 80th anniversary with events, including a global exhibit titled "Shared Lives, Shared Future."
• 📊 Today is World Statistics Day, recognizing the vital role of data in addressing global challenges.