In South Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that nearly 1 million people are now affected by the devastating floods in the country. As of 23 October, severe and widespread flooding has impacted more than 960,000 people in six states.
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A new $2.6 million initiative in Tunisia, funded by the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund, will promote inclusive and participatory local water management over the next two years in the regions of Gafsa and Kairouan, which are heavily affected by climate change-induced water scarcity.
In the Central African Republic, the UN Mission there continues to support the country’s peace process, including through the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process. From 16 to 20 October, it facilitated the disarmament and demobilization of ex-combatants in Bangui and in Mobaye.
The Food and Agriculture Organization today released a report showing that deforestation has slowed in all of the world’s regions in the last decade. More than half of forests are now covered by long-term management plans, and one fifth are within legally established protected areas.
In Haiti, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns of a resurgence of cholera in the Ouest Department over the past month. Since 8 September, health authorities have reported new cases in the commune of Pétion-Ville, following 11 weeks with no cases confirmed in the country.
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and Oxford University’s Poverty and Human Initiative released today a report showing that nearly 8 in 10 people living in multidimensional poverty — this is 887 million people out of 1.1 billion globally — are exposed to climate hazards such as extreme heat, flooding and drought.
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, while traveling from Cairo to Rafah, spoke of how vital that route is as a lifeline for aid going into Gaza. He stressed the need for all the crossings to open to allow for a massive scale-up and start turning the situation on the ground around.
The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, concluded a visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he met with both the Saudi and Emirati Ambassadors to Yemen, as well as ambassadors of the five permanent members of the Security Council. Discussions focused on the detention by Ansar Allah of UN colleagues, those from diplomatic missions and NGO personnel.
As of the end of September, less than one quarter of the over $45.3 billion needed to support life-saving action around the world this year had been received, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns. This is 40 per cent less compared to the same time last year.
The World Food Programme (WFP) warned that women, children and displaced families are hardest hit by Haiti’s prolonged crisis, which is driving hunger and malnutrition. A record of 5.7 million people - 51 per cent of the population - are experiencing acute levels of hunger, a 3 per cent increase from last year.