Humanitarian issues

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.

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.

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

The UN Human Rights Office and the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) published a report on the far-reaching human rights impacts of last month’s telecommunications shutdowns in the country, citing delayed or no access to healthcare and emergency services, and disruption to humanitarian operations, among them.

A new report from the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), titled “At Risk and Underfunded”, warns that sweeping aid cuts are jeopardizing the organizations essential to ending violence against women and girls.

In the Central African Republic, the UN Mission there continues to support the country’s peace process, including through the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process. From 16 to 20 October, it facilitated the disarmament and demobilization of ex-combatants in Bangui and in Mobaye.

The Food and Agriculture Organization today released a report showing that deforestation has slowed in all of the world’s regions in the last decade. More than half of forests are now covered by long-term management plans, and one fifth are within legally established protected areas.