The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported today that international food commodity prices declined moderately in October. However, persistent conflicts are aggravating food insecurity, and moderating food prices are being countered by weak currencies in many low-income countries.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on 28 August signed an agreement with health authorities to provide midwifery and nursing skill-based education to Afghan women and girls who are currently in Iran.

In Pakistan, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today warned that, one year after the historic floods that devastated the country, millions of children continue to need humanitarian assistance and access to essential services.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Linda Thomas-Greenfield (United States):

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations peacekeeping mission there helped foil an attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) armed group on the village of Luna in North Kivu province.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

In Haiti, amid intensifying violence, Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, called for urgent action to be taken on the UN Secretary-General’s appeal for a non-United Nations multinational force to support the Haitian police in addressing the grave security situation and restoring the rule of law.

In Niger, United Nations Humanitarian Air Service flights are grounded as air space in that country remains closed. While the Organization and its humanitarian partners will continue supporting vulnerable populations there, the $583 million humanitarian appeal for Niger is only 32 per cent funded.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Barbara Woodward (United Kingdom):

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime today released its first-ever Global Report on Cocaine, noting that the global supply of cocaine has reached record levels, with coca cultivation soaring 35 per cent from 2020 to 2021. Demand for cocaine has also swelled with many regions showing a steady rise in cocaine users.