The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**COP30

All right, good afternoon, everyone.

This morning, at the opening plenary of COP30 (30^th Conference of Parties) in Belém, Brazil, Simon Stiell, the UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, said that ten years ago in Paris, we were designing the future - a future that would clearly see the curve of emissions bend downwards. He pointed out that the emissions curve has been bent downwards, but we must move much faster - both on reductions of emissions and strengthening resilience.

Mr. Stiell emphasized that we don't need to wait for late nationally determined contributions to slowly trickle in to spot the gap and design the innovations necessary to tackle it. He added that the economics of this transition are as indisputable as the costs of inaction.

As you know, the Secretary-General was in Belém last week, where he participated at the Belém Climate Summit. On Friday afternoon, he spoke at a session on 10 years of the Paris Agreement: NDCs and Financing. He said that a temporary overshoot above 1.5°C - starting at the latest in the early 2030s - is now inevitable. But, he added, we can manage the scale and duration of that overshoot and bring temperatures back down, if we take serious action now.

The Secretary-General called on all at COP30 to renew the great promise the world made a decade ago in Paris - by kickstarting a new decade of implementation and acceleration.

And I also want to flag that today, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) released its latest numbers updating the recent NDC Synthesis report. It shows that new NDCs, including many received in recent days, will reduce emissions by 12 per cent in 2035. The Framework Convention highlighted that every fraction of a degree of heating avoided will save millions of lives and billions of dollars in climate damages.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

Turning to Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that one month into the ceasefire, efforts to ramp up aid are still being held back by red tape, ongoing bans on key humanitarian partners, too few crossings and routes, and insecurity that persists despite the ceasefire.

Over the weekend, our teams reported shelling and navy fire in different parts of Gaza - though at much lower levels than before the ceasefire.

In some areas, our teams still have to coordinate every movement in advance with the Israeli authorities. Yesterday, we made eight coordination attempts. Only two were fully facilitated, and four were impeded on the ground - including one that was delayed for 10 hours before the team finally received a green light to move.

Despite the challenges, the UN and our partners are seizing every opportunity to expand operations.

Yesterday, UN agencies kicked off the catch-up campaign for routine immunization, nutrition and growth monitoring - which we mentioned last week. UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), and the World Health Organization (WHO) are carrying out the campaign with partners, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. The campaign focuses on children who missed earlier vaccination campaigns and aims to reach 44,000 children overall.

Today, WHO reported that Al Kheir Hospital in Khan Younis resumed operations last week after being forced out of service following attacks in February 2024. The agency supported its rehabilitation by restoring water, sanitation, power and structural systems, and providing essential medical equipment and medicines.

WHO also set up a new 20-bed nutrition stabilization centre at the hospital to treat children with acute and severe malnutrition. This brings the total across Gaza to seven such centres, with 70 inpatient beds in all.

Between Wednesday and Friday, our humanitarian partners provided mental health and psychosocial support services to 1,500 children and 500 caregivers in different locations across the south. They received help with emotional expression and stress reduction, with messaging on the prevention of child abuse.

Over the weekend, our humanitarian partners distributed nearly 40,000 winter clothing kits and pairs of shoes to children under 10. The UN and our partners are also distributing blankets to hospitals and other locations - including nearly 50,000 blankets between Wednesday and Saturday alone.

Since the ceasefire, over the past month, our humanitarian partners have been providing water trucking services through 2,000 locations across the Gaza Strip. They've also distributed 15,000 hygiene kits and restored some domestic water supply in the Az Zaytoun neighbourhood of Gaza City by repairing a critical water line in the area.

**Sudan

Moving to Sudan: Our humanitarian colleagues warn that the crisis in North Darfur State is deepening as violence spreads beyond the state capital, El Fasher.

Following the Rapid Support Forces' (RSF) takeover of the city on 26 October, clashes continue to be reported along key access routes, trapping civilians and cutting off aid. Since that date, nearly 89,000 people have fled El Fasher and nearby villages, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Many have sought refuge in the localities of Tawila, Melit and Saraf Omra, while others have travelled to Dabbah in Northern State.

In Tawila and Dabbah, we and our partners are providing food, clean water, sanitation, healthcare and psychosocial support, among other essential aid, but needs far exceed the available resources.

Some families from El Fasher have sought refuge in the locality of Tina, near the Sudan-Chad border, where local volunteers report that more than 3,000 displaced people urgently need food, shelter and healthcare. Across the border in eastern Chad, already overwhelmed host communities and our partners are preparing for new arrivals as people continue to seek safety and assistance.

Meanwhile, violence is intensifying in the Kordofan region, resulting in mounting civilian casualties and new waves of displacement. The World Health Organization says it verified an attack on Dilling Hospital in South Kordofan State on 6 November that killed and injured people. The agency notes that this is the 192^nd verified attack on health facilities in Sudan since April 2023.

In neighbouring North Kordofan State, IOM says that as of yesterday, violence reported across the localities of Bara, Sheikan, Rahad, Um Rawaba and Um Dam Haj Ahmed displaced nearly 39,000 people over the prior two weeks.

Partners report that more than 10,000 people have sought safety in White Nile State, while others have fled to Omdurman locality in Khartoum State and other parts of North Kordofan.

Once again, we call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers, an end to attacks on hospitals and civilian infrastructure, and safe, unhindered access for aid to reach those in need across Sudan.

**Ukraine

From Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that over the weekend, large-scale attacks and hostilities caused civilian casualties and disrupted critical services across the country.

Local authorities report that between 7 November and early this morning, at least 15 civilians were killed and more than 70 others injured as hostilities continued nationwide.

On the night of 8 November, a wave of missile and drone strikes affected the regions of Chernihiv, Dnipro, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava and Sumy, according to the authorities and aid workers.

On the same day, a clearly marked humanitarian evacuation vehicle came under a drone attack in the front-line town of Kostiantynivka, in the region of Donetsk. The passengers managed to escape before the vehicle was destroyed and were not injured. The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, condemned the attack, emphasizing that humanitarians must be protected.

These attacks also damaged energy and residential infrastructure in several regions, including Chernihiv, Odesa and Poltava. They disrupted electricity, heating and water supply, making it even harder for vulnerable people to cope amid cold temperatures.

Major cities - including Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa - are experiencing power outages, with electricity available only for a few hours a day. In the city of Kharkiv, heating and water services remain disrupted, and public electric transport is partially suspended.

OCHA tells us that the UN and our humanitarian partners quickly mobilized, providing emergency shelter materials, blankets, hygiene items, hot drinks and psychosocial support in several areas, including the Dnipro, Kherson and Odesa regions.

**Philippines

Turning to the Philippines, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that super typhoon Fung-Wong, locally known as Uwan, made landfall yesterday.

The storm hit the northern parts of the island of Luzon, following one of the largest coastal evacuations ever carried out in the Philippines.

The Government is taking the lead in response and early recovery efforts. But as we mentioned last week, as part of efforts to get ahead of the typhoon, UN agencies and our partners have already provided cash assistance and reinforced shelters.

With early warnings in place, more than 1.3 million people were pre-emptively evacuated in 13 out of 18 regions across the country. As of today, more than 480,000 people remain displaced, with over 6,000 evacuation centres operating today.

Food, tents, hygiene kits and other supplies were prepositioned.

OCHA continues to work closely with authorities and humanitarian agencies to assess damage and plan the response.

Strong typhoons such as Fung-Wong will unfortunately be more likely as the climate crisis drives sea temperatures in the region higher, making our joint preparedness work more important than ever.

Arnaud Peral, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Philippines, today commended the Government and first responders for their efficient preparedness, pre-emptive evacuations and other timely responses, which he said undoubtedly saved lives.

**Security Council

Earlier today, Adedeji Ebo, Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, briefed Security Council members on small arms and light weapons.

He said that since the Council's last briefing on this matter two years ago, progress has been made on controlling small arms and light weapons. Yet over one billion firearms remain in circulation, fuelling violence, terrorism, and organized crime. He warned that the misuse of such weapons has led to rising civilian deaths and deep socioeconomic impacts.

Mr. Ebo reiterated the Secretary-General's calls for Member States to strengthen cooperation with UN mechanisms and to rebalance military spending towards peacebuilding and sustainable security.

**Science Day for Peace and Development

Today is World Science Day for Peace and Development. This year's theme, "Trust, Transformation, and Tomorrow: The Science We Need for 2050", underscores science's importance in achieving global goals and building a sustainable future.

**Questions and Answers

Deputy Spokesman: That's it for me. Are there any questions? Yes, Edie.

Question: Thank you very much, Farhan. I see in the weeks that I've been on vacation that the amount of aid going into Gaza has increased, but certainly not significantly to the levels that the UN had hoped for, and that only two border crossings still are open. What's the holdup in opening more crossings, as the UN has been lobbying for over a month now?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, the holdup is on the Israeli side. We've been asking them and trying to coordinate with them to get more crossings opened, but they still have not done so. We're continuing to be in touch with them. We believe that with the ceasefire in place, there's no reason not to have border crossings opened, including from Egypt and the south, and to have better access to the north.

Question: And on Sudan, what is the UN doing to try to get a ceasefire that actually is working and to get someone into North Darfur, especially in the El Fasher area, to determine exactly what has happened and what is going on?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, our main effort is with the Secretary-General's personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra. As you know, Mr. Lamamra has invited both parties separately to enter into technical talks with the United Nations, and those would be focused on de-escalation and the protection of civilians. And he has been in consultations with African Union, with IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) and others, trying to push this forward. And he's also, of course, dealt with members of the Quad, which comprises Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. So we're trying to work with all of those partners to get a ceasefire on the ground, to get unimpeded humanitarian access, and, again, to get the parties to de-escalate the situation. But so far, there's no real progress to report on that.

Question: From either side?

Deputy Spokesman: From either side. Abdelhamid?

Question: Thank you, Farhan. The news says that the US now is in control of Gaza. What can you tell us about that?

Deputy Spokesman: I tell you what we say, not what the news says. Obviously, you would need to check with the media outlets what they're reporting on. What we are doing is, as you know, the aid efforts that I detailed at the start of this briefing, and we're trying to see what actions are taken by other bodies, including by the Security Council. As you know, the Security Council is in discussions about a draft resolution, and we'll see how that goes.

Question: My second question about the situation in general in Gaza. Not one single day passes without Israeli killing some Palestinians, including today. And they also bulldozed some houses in Khan Younis. Same thing in Lebanon, same thing in the West Bank. Where things are going with this country called Israel?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, at the start of today's briefing, I don't think you were there for that, but we did point to the fact that the insecurity still persists despite the ceasefire, and that we've reported shelling and navy fire in different parts of Gaza over the weekend. So although that is happening at lower levels than before the ceasefire, it's still happening, and that's a concern. The Secretary-General, as you know, has repeatedly called on the parties to respect the ceasefire, and we will continue to work with our partners on that.

Question: Lastly, on Friday, two children, both of them 16 years old, in the village of Al Jadir, which is next to Ramallah, were gunned down, Muhammad Taym, 16, and Muhammad Rashad, 16. Why killing Palestinian children do not show in those briefing by name and by incident, not only just in general?

Deputy Spokesman: I believe we mentioned the killing of children last Friday. Look at what I said in last Friday's briefing. [cross-talk]

Question: About these two children in particular?

Deputy Spokesman: I believe I mentioned the killings of children that happened that day, on Friday. Look again at the briefing notes. Yes. Alex, in the back. Oh, sorry. Sorry. Sorry. It's Gabriel?

Question: Yes. Yes.

Deputy Spokesman: You know, my eyes are so bad that, far back, I couldn't see you. Right. Gabriel?

Question: Yes. All right. Thank you, Farhan. Does the Secretary-General condemn the attacks by Israeli settlers against civilian Palestinian civilians in the West Bank over the weekend, including a female journalist from Reuters?

Deputy Spokesman: Yes. We do, we condemn the settler attacks, and, of course, we are opposed to all attacks on journalists everywhere in the world. Yeah. Yes?

Question: Does the Secretary-General think that there is any justification for Israel continuing to block international journalists' access to all of Gaza?

Deputy Spokesman: We have never thought that there is a justification for blocking journalists. Not in Gaza, not anywhere. And we believe that journalists need to be free to go about their work. Yes?

Question: What does the Secretary-General have to say on the absence of the United States at COP30?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, I mean, obviously, it makes a difference whether countries show up or not at high levels. As far as I'm aware, 194 countries plus the European Union are registered to participate in COP30. So all but a few countries are participating. But at the end of the day, regardless of whether countries participate or not at the Government level, this is a crisis that affects all the peoples in the world. Businesses will be involved. Different communities will be involved. And so we believe that there is going to be widespread involvement, regardless of the decisions taken by a small number of governments. Yes, Jordan?

Question: Israel announced today that they are about to conduct military exercise in West Bank and Jordan Valley. Is there any concern from the SG?

Deputy Spokesman: We have made clear our concerns about activities in the West Bank. Obviously, when there are security operations, we believe that they should be conducted in such a way as to spare civilians. But we want to make sure that the status quo in the West Bank is upheld.

Question: It's about… my question was about exercises, not operation. But since you mentioned the word operation, do you approve Israel to have operation in West Bank, security operation? Do you approve? Do you agree?

Deputy Spokesman: We're aware that there have been security operations. We've made our concerns known about those operations. And as I just said to you, from our standpoint, the point is that any security operations need to be conducted with respect for the laws and with respect for steps taken to make sure that civilians are protected. Okay.

Question: Are those operations legal when it's in occupied territory?

Deputy Spokesman: We've made our standpoint on that clear across this. I would refer you to a number of UN resolutions and, of course, the work done recent… just the decision made recently by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

All right. Have a good afternoon, everyone.