A new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme warns that acute food insecurity is deepening in 16 hunger hotspots, which threatens to drive millions more into famine or risk of famine. Of highest concern are Haiti, Mali, Palestine, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.
Noon Briefings
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are deeply saddened over the tragic capsizing of a boat off the coast of Malaysia and Thailand carrying up to 70 people from Myanmar, including Rohingya. Some 13 people were brought ashore by Malaysian authorities; at least 21 people died.
In the Philippines, super typhoon Fung-Wong, or Uwan, made landfall Sunday, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports. UN agencies and its partners have provided cash assistance and reinforced shelters and are working closely with authorities and aid agencies to assess damage and plan the response.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that this year, more than 42,000 refugees have returned home voluntarily in the West and Central Africa region, bringing the total to more than 272,000 since 2021. The majority have returned to Nigeria and the Central African Republic.
The UN and its partners are scaling up their response following the earthquake that struck northern Afghanistan on Monday, as authorities report that 25 people have been killed and nearly 1,000 injured. Immediate priorities include emergency shelter, warm clothing, cash for heating and repair kits for damaged homes, along with mobile health clinics.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UN peacekeepers have resumed Operation Secure Harvest, patrolling a major route in Ituri province to ensure a safe environment for the harvest season and deter potential attacks against farmers and civilians.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that Madagascar is facing a deepening humanitarian crisis in the Grand Sud and Grand Sud-Est regions. The impact of the recent El Niño drought and cyclone season, along with a malaria outbreak and strained health systems, has left communities with little ability to recover.
The Central Emergency Response Fund has released $4 million to scale up the response to Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean, providing food, health, water, shelter, logistics and sanitation and hygiene support. More members of a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team arrived in Jamaica today.
In Sudan, humanitarian officials report that the situation in North Darfur remains catastrophic, with ongoing attacks against civilians. The International Organization for Migration now estimate that at least 62,000 people have been displaced from El Fasher and surrounding areas.
Led by Resident Coordinator Pauline Tamesis, the UN is supporting Viet Nam’s efforts to respond to one of the most damaging typhoon seasons in decades. Between May and early October, 11 typhoons and tropical depressions, including Bualoi and Matmo, struck within days of each other, affecting over a million people across six provinces.