Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

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

**Guest Note

We are going to start the Noon Briefing with our virtual guest, Staffan de Mistura, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara.

He will make brief remarks about Western Sahara, then he will take one or two questions.

[briefing not transcribed]

For your information, we do expect, as soon as we get it, to be able to share Staffan de Mistura's opening remarks.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

Turning to the Gaza Strip, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the UN and our partners are reaching more people every day with more supplies and services in all areas, despite access restrictions, bureaucratic hurdles, congestion along transit routes and other impediments.

Today, UN agencies announced the launch of an integrated catch-up campaign for routine immunization, nutrition and growth monitoring, targeting 44,000 children who've been cut off from life-saving services due to the war. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency), and the World Health Organization (WHO) will carry out the campaign with partners, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

Children will receive three doses of the Pentavalent, Polio, Rota, and Pneumococcal Conjugate vaccines, and two doses of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella vaccine. The first of three planned rounds will start this Sunday and run for 10 days, with vaccinations taking place at nearly 150 health facilities and 10 mobile clinics across the Gaza Strip.

Teams have already brought into the Gaza Strip all vaccines, syringes, cold chain equipment and nutrition supplies necessary for this campaign. Over 450 health workers and support staff, as well as nearly 150 doctors, have been trained.

The agencies stress that the campaign's success depends on the full respect of the ceasefire so that families, health professionals, and other humanitarian workers can reach vaccination sites freely and safely.

Across Gaza, the number of daily meals being served by 183 community kitchens topped 1.2 million meals on Monday, with the UN and our partners supporting that scale-up. Compared with late September, this represents an increase of more than 80 per cent. You'll recall that we're also providing families with food parcels and other forms of food assistance.

Humanitarians are also working to improve access to water supplies, with more than 40 partner organizations operating nearly 1,900 water points. On Monday, the UN and our partners distributed 4,400 hygiene kits, as well as 2,900 buckets and 3,700 jerrycans to people in need.

Yesterday, the UN and our partners distributed hundreds of tarpaulins and hundreds of tents across the Strip to displaced families in need of urgent shelter support. On Sunday and Monday, they provided hundreds of families with cash-voucher assistance for clothing ahead of the winter.

Meanwhile, the UN and our partners keep moving cargo into Gaza and collecting more supplies from Gaza's crossings. Just to give you a sense of the scale of these operations, on Monday, we were able to offload over 180 truckloads of critical supplies at the crossings, including more than 1,500 metric tons of food. And yesterday, our teams collected about 120 truckloads inside Gaza, carrying more than 580 pallets of blankets, tents, winter clothes, hygiene items and more. They also collected over 150,000 litres of fuel and over 90 metric tons of animal fodder. These numbers are preliminary, and as we've noted before, they exclude bilateral donations and the private sector.

OCHA stresses that while the humanitarian scale-up is well underway, much more is needed. Cargo collection is still limited because just two crossings are currently operational - and aid teams are only permitted to use narrow, congested roads to move supplies, with priority often given to the commercial sector. Operations are also restricted by prohibitive registration requirements that effectively ban most non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from taking part in the scale-up. The UN and our partners are actively engaging with relevant authorities and all those with influence to secure the lifting of obstacles and restrictions so that we can truly leave no one behind.

**Lebanon/Israel

Moving to the situation along the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon. UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers continue to observe Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) military presence and activities in the mission's area of operations. Over the past two days, UNIFIL observed over 100 IDF vehicles moving in Sector East and about 60 IDF vehicles in Sector West, with several Merkava tanks among them.

On Monday, our peacekeepers reported approximately 300 rounds of small arms fire originating from south of the Blue Line and impacting near a UNIFIL position in Kfar Shouba in Sector East. They also observed another 100 rounds of direct fire impacting near Shab'a in Sector East yesterday.

We remind all parties of their obligation to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be respected at all times.

Meanwhile, UNIFIL peacekeepers continued to discover unauthorized weapons and ammunition caches and report them to the Lebanese Armed Forces for disposal. Yesterday, they found mortar boxes, a tunnel and military equipment in Sector West. On Monday, peacekeepers found three rockets and a fuse near Kfar Shouba in Sector East.

As part of our peacekeepers' mandate to build capacity of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), UNIFIL recently trained with LAF personnel on explosive threat awareness and defensive techniques. Peacekeepers also continue to carry out joint patrols with the LAF to ensure security during olive harvesting near the Blue Line.

**Deputy Secretary-General

The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, is in Doha, Qatar, attending the Second World Summit for Social Development.

This morning, she delivered remarks at the opening of the Civil Society Forum, where she emphasized the central role of civil society in driving people-centred and people-powered social development and supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Throughout the day, she participated in several sessions - including on Beyond GDP, Food Systems Transformation, and Youth Mental Health and Well-being -that offer concrete pathways to advance social development by ending poverty, strengthening social inclusion, and ensuring dignity and opportunity for all.

While in Doha, the Deputy Secretary-General held a number of bilateral meetings with senior government officials, including with Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. They discussed the importance of education as a foundation for human dignity and social progress and the strong collaboration between Her Highness's foundation, Education Above All, and the United Nations in transforming education and advancing the SDGs.

**Sudan/Chad

Turning to the horrifying situation in Sudan, we are deeply alarmed by mounting reports of grave violations against civilians as fighting continues in North Darfur State.

OCHA reports that local volunteers have documented executions, sexual violence, humiliation, extortion and attacks, among other systematic abuses, including against people fleeing the fighting following the Rapid Support Forces' (RSF) capture of the state capital, El Fasher, last week.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that nearly 82,000 people have fled El Fasher and surrounding areas since 26 October, including towards Tawila, which is already hosting hundreds of thousands who have fled previous attacks, with humanitarian needs far exceeding available resources.

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) reports that women and girls faced rape, abduction and other extreme violence while escaping El Fasher. Other local sources report that about 1,300 people with gunshot wounds arrived in the locality of Tawila after being attacked as they escaped the city.

We, again, call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and the safe, unhindered passage of humanitarian workers and relief supplies to reach those in need.

Meanwhile, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says that Chad now hosts 1.4 million refugees, mostly from Darfur, making it a critical refuge. With escalating violence in El Fasher, another major influx into Chad is anticipated, further straining host communities.

UNHCR teams are reinforcing preparedness efforts, pre-positioning supplies, and working with local authorities and partners to expand reception capacity near border areas such as Adré and Tine.

Critical sectors including health, water, sanitation, and protection remain under-resourced, leaving thousands without adequate support. We call on the international community to urgently scale up support to Chad's refugee response.

**Abyei

This morning, Martha Pobee, the Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, along with Guang Cong, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa, briefed Security Council members on the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei, known as UNISFA.

Ms. Pobee highlighted challenges in Abyei, including the increased presence of Rapid Support Forces elements in northern Abyei and the continued deployment of South Sudanese security forces in the south, in violation of the demilitarized and weapons-free status of Abyei. She called for the immediate deployment of Security Council-authorized Formed Police Units, urging full support from Sudan and South Sudan.

Briefing the Council via VTC, Mr. Cong said bilateral engagement between Sudan and South Sudan on Abyei's final status has been low since the war in Sudan began. He continues, however, to engage with both governments to improve relations and will provide full support to the African Union and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development in efforts to resolve Abyei's final status.

**South Sudan

Turning to South Sudan: We have been constantly warning of the severe food and nutrition crisis the country continues to face. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, released recently, projects that over half of South Sudan's population - that's approximately 7.56 million people - will face crisis or worse levels of hunger during the 2026 lean season from April to July. Additionally, more than 2 million children are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition.

In a joint statement, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNICEF and WFP said that escalating conflict, displacement and limited humanitarian access are driving hunger.

The agencies stress that urgent, sustained support and unimpeded access are vital to save lives and prevent a deeper humanitarian crisis.

**Democratic Republic of the Congo

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UN peacekeepers have resumed Operation Secure Harvest, patrolling along a major route in the Ituri province. This operation aims to ensure a safe environment for the ongoing harvest season and deter potential attacks to farmers and civilians.

Nepalese peacekeepers, in coordination with local authorities, are deployed on proactive patrols in and around the Lodha displacement site, as well as nearby agricultural zones, to protect farmers from incursions by armed groups. Near Komanda, Indonesian peacekeepers are safeguarding maize and cassava fields, farmers and supporting local economic recovery.

**Central African Republic

Turning to the Central African Republic, our peacekeeping colleagues in the country (MINUSCA) tell us that since last week's signing of a local peace agreement between the Central African and Sudanese communities in Am-Dafock, no major security incidents have been reported in the area.

You will recall that Am-Dafock is located in the Central African Republic's north-east, close to the border with Sudan, and as we reported over the past few months, there had been cross-border incursions by Sudanese armed elements.

Last week's peace agreement was signed between the communities on both sides of the border, and it was facilitated and mediated by our peacekeeping colleagues.

In the agreement, the parties committed to prohibiting the possession of illegal firearms and military equipment, as well as to respecting official routes for the seasonal movement of livestock.

Our colleagues continue to work with local authorities and communities to ensure people in the area are aware of the agreement and support its implementation.

**Hurricane Melissa

Turning to the Caribbean: The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that earlier this morning, the UN System in Cuba launched its Plan of Action to support the national response to the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, alongside the Government.

The plan aims to assist one million people among the 2.2 million in need across the eastern provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Holguín and Guantánamo. It outlines a coordinated response by UN agencies in support of the Government and the Civil Defense system.

The Plan calls for $74 million, of which $4 million was released ahead of the hurricane from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), as part of its Anticipatory Action programme. UN agencies have also put forth an additional $7 million. This leaves a funding gap of about $64 million to meet urgent needs.

The response focuses on health, water and sanitation, shelter, education, and early recovery, with special attention to be paid to the needs of women, children and other vulnerable groups.

The UN stands with the people of Cuba and calls on the world to back efforts to restore vital services, rebuild livelihoods, and strengthen resilience after Hurricane Melissa.

And in Haiti, OCHA says that the UN and our humanitarian partners continue to scale up response efforts in the Grand Sud region - the area of the country most affected by Hurricane Melissa.

According to authorities, as of yesterday, 43 people have died, including 25 in Petit-Goâve alone. Dozens of others are injured and at least 13 people remain missing.

At the height of the crisis, 16,000 people had sought refuge in temporary shelters. As of 3 November, more than 1,700 people remain displaced across 10 shelters. Over 16,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.

Many roads have been affected, with some remaining impassable and leaving communities - particularly in the department of Grand'Anse - isolated. Authorities are conducting urgent repairs to restore access.

Today, a team from OCHA, UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) visited the commune of Petit-Goâve in the Ouest department to discuss how to strengthen coordination with local authorities and our partners. Petit-Goave has registered the highest number of casualties from the hurricane.

We and our partners continue to deliver food, shelter, hygiene kits and other life-saving supplies.

**Human Development

Climate change is set to dramatically undermine agricultural productivity and human well-being worldwide, with some of the greatest risks concentrated in countries least able to adapt. That's according to a major new dataset that has been released just ahead of COP30 [thirtieth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] via the Human Climate Horizons (HCH) data platform by the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) Human Development Report Office, in collaboration with the Climate Impact Lab.

The latest data indicates that over 90 per cent of the countries assessed by the research (161 out of 176 analysed countries) are projected to experience declines in staple-crop yields by the end of the century-even after accounting for farmer adaptation.

The research also shows that reducing emissions matters: when countries cut emissions to moderate levels, crop losses by 2100 are less than half those under high emissions scenarios. There's further information from UNDP.

**Tsunami Awareness Day

Today is World Tsunami Awareness Day. In his message, the Secretary-General warns that Tsunamis are rare but can be catastrophic.

As sea levels rise and coastal populations grow, he urges investment in early warning systems, underscoring that the UN's "Early Warnings for All" initiative aims to protect everyone by 2027.

**Questions and Answers

That's it from me. Are there any questions? Okay. Evelyn?

Question: The DSG is in Doha. Do you know how long she's going to be there?

Deputy Spokesman: Yes. She's going to be there for the next two days. Earlier, I just provided a note on what she did today, and we expect to give an update tomorrow. And then she'll be traveling back over the weekend.

Question: Oh, so she's going to be here, then. Okay. And secondly, with the temperature dropping in Gaza, not severely but a few hours a day, it could be 60 during the day and 40 at night, where do the… how do residents protect themselves?

Deputy Spokesman: Earlier, I had read out some of the things that we're doing to prepare families for winter. That includes providing shelter items, providing warm clothing. And like I said, just the first two days of this week, hundreds of families were given cash voucher assistance so that they can get clothing ahead of the winter season. All right. Have a good afternoon, everyone. Bye.