(Humanitarian Aid – Sudan) More than 21 million people in Sudan, 45 per cent of the population, are not getting enough to eat as the war between rival militaries continues, according to the World Food Programme (WFP). UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric provided the update during the regular briefing to journalists in New York on Thursday. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been battling for power since April 2023, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. – Families in Sudan ‘running out of time’ as hunger spreads | UN News
(Climate and Environment – COP30) Floods, heatwaves, droughts and storms are forcing millions from their homes every year. Most never cross a border; they remain internally displaced yet uprooted all the same. But experts warn that in the not-so-distant future, entire nations could disappear beneath rising seas or become uninhabitable through drought. At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) is pressing negotiators to make climate mobility a core part of adaptation plans. “People and communities who choose to stay must be safe, and those who decide to move must have the option to do so with dignity,” Ugochi Daniels, IOM’s Deputy Director General said on Thursday. Across 80 countries, IOM runs projects that put local communities in charge of solutions. Ms. Daniels hopes COP30 will be “a turning point to place human mobility as a key area of climate action,” especially in national adaptation plans and financing for loss and damage. – From Haiti to Ethiopia: voices of climate displacement at COP30 | UN News
(Climate and Environment – COP30) Hailed by Brazil as “a crucial moment to demonstrate the strength of the health sector in global climate action,” a blueprint for global health systems to adapt to rising temperatures and extreme weather has been launched at the COP30 UN climate conference. As climate negotiations continue in the Amazonian city of Belém, Brazil, governments, UN agencies and partners have adopted the Belém Health Action Plan, placing an emphasis on addressing healthcare inequalities. – Protecting lives in a warming world: Health takes centre stage at COP30 | UN News
(Peace and Security – Gaza) More than nine in 10 children in Gaza are displaying signs of aggressive behaviour linked to more than two years of war between Hamas and Israel, welfare agencies have reported. Issuing a warning that the children’s sense of stability and security has been eroded as key everyday services have collapsed, humanitarians insist that young Gazans will need “sustained, long-term efforts to recover”. According to child safety partner assessments conducted in September, shared by the UN aid coordination office (OCHA), 93 per cent exhibited aggressive behaviour and 90 per cent were violent towards younger children. Sadness and withdrawal are almost as common (86 per cent), along with disturbed sleep (79 per cent) and widespread refusal to study (69 per cent). – Gaza: War has made children violent, sad and bereft | UN News
(Health – Ethiopia) The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting Ethiopia as the country faces a suspected viral haemorraghic fever outbreak in the south, the UN agency said on Thursday. So far, eight possible cases have been reported in the South Ethiopia Region and laboratory testing is ongoing to determine the exact cause. Health workers are among those who have been infected, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a tweet. – Ethiopia: UN supports response to potentially deadly virus outbreak | UN News
(Migrants and Refugees) Lack of sufficient funds is jeopardizing the ability of the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) to operate, the head of the agency said on Thursday. Speaking to the General Assembly, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, argued that the agency is indispensable for the stability and rebuilding of the shattered Gaza Strip – and the wider region. He underlined that a “virulent” disinformation campaign has tarnished its reputation and strangled its funds. “Curtailing or ending UNRWA’s services will have grave consequences for the region,” warned Mr. Lazzarini. “In Gaza, it would undermine stabilisation and recovery, jeopardising a political path forward.” – Ending UNWRA services would imperil political way forward: Lazzarini | UN News
