Ethiopia

In the Republic of Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that more than 520,000 people need life-saving assistance following severe floods in country. A joint UN-Government assessment found that nine of the country’s 12 departments are now impacted, since the floods started in October.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that ongoing attacks and hostilities across Ukraine in recent days have led to further deaths, damage and destruction of civilian infrastructure.

In Gaza, the humanitarian pause has enabled a major increase in aid delivery, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports. UN agencies have sent lifesaving medicines and surgical supplies to two hospitals in Gaza City — Al Ahli and Al Sahaba — and enough fuel to operate generators for about seven days.

The UN Secretariat has received a letter from the Sudanese Government announcing its decision to immediately terminate the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan. The Government also communicated its commitment to engage constructively with the Security Council and the Secretariat on a new formula.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has begun rolling out food distributions to nearly 900,000 refugees in Ethiopia following a full revamp of the safeguards and controls at its refugee operations, with refugee camps across five regions receiving food parcels for the first time since WFP paused food distributions in June.

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.

The United Nations is opening a public call for nominations of experts to serve on the multi-stakeholder High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, which has been convened by the Secretary-General to carry out analysis and advance recommendations for the international governance of artificial intelligence (AI).

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Ramiz Alakbarov of Azerbaijan as the UN Resident Coordinator in Ethiopia, with the host Government’s approval. He will also serve as the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country.

Amidst a steady influx of people to Vakaga prefecture from Sudan, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) is maintaining a temporary presence in the village of Tiringoulou following recent attacks against Central African defence forces.

United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths has allocated $3 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to urgently respond to the arrival of Sudanese refugees and others in Chad. In Khartoum, the World Health Organization reports that over 60 per cent of health facilities are closed.