In Lebanon, the World Health Organization, UN Refugee Agency and the United Nations Children’s Fund are coordinating efforts, and the United Nations is seeking $43 million more over the next three months to address the cholera outbreak. As of 22 October, there have been a reported 239 confirmed cases and 10 deaths.

In Pakistan, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is warning today that in the flood-impacted areas of Sindh and Balochistan, more than 1 in 9 children under 5 admitted to health facilities are suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

The World Health Organization’s new report noted that, in this decade, almost 500 million people will develop heart disease, obesity, diabetes or other noncommunicable diseases due to physical inactivity. If Governments do not urgently encourage more physical activity, costs for this could reach $27 billion annually.

The United Nations team in Cuba launched a $42 million Plan of Action to support authorities to address the needs of people impacted by Hurricane Ian. The plan is expected to benefit almost 800,000 people and includes $3.7 million repurposed from the team’s funding and an additional $7.8 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund.

Angela Merkel, the former Chancellor of Germany, was announced today as the recipient of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) 2022 Nansen Refugee Award. The award is given to an individual, group or organization that has worked to protect refugees, internally displaced or stateless people.

The United Nations has been stepping up efforts in Cabo Verde to support authorities to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Across three islands, the Organization has supported the creation of 1,000 jobs in 24 rural communities.

Following the recommendation of the Secretary-General, after consultation with Member States, the General Assembly confirmed Filippo Grandi of Italy as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for a further two and a half years beginning on 1 July 2023 and ending on 31 December 2025.

In Cuba, the United Nations took part in the consultation process to make reforms to the country’s Family Code. Almost 75 per cent of Cubans voted on 25 September in a referendum on the diversity of families, affection and solidarity as key social values and strengthening the protection of a host of vulnerable groups.

In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, where 1.3 million Palestinian children will be returning to school this week, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator there issued a statement today in which she said she is concerned that, since the beginning of the year, 20 children were killed in the West Bank.

In Afghanistan, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing a programme to protect rural livelihoods amid continuing drought and extreme economic crisis and will support more than 9 million people across 34 provinces in 2022.