The United Nations Office at Geneva
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UN Geneva Press Briefing - 18 November 2025
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Press Conferences | The Global Fund , ICRC , UNICEF , WFP , OCHA , WHO
UN Geneva Press Briefing - 18 November 2025
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- The Global Fund - Ann Vaessen Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment Summit
TOPICS
- ICRC - Patrick Youssef, Africa Regional Director
- DRC – overview of the humanitarian situation in the Kivu and impact on neighboring countries
- Sudan: Update on the humanitarian situation
- UNICEF - Ricardo Pires: Operational update on the situation of children impacted by severe weather and floods
in Gaza.
- WFP - Jean-Martin Bauer, Director of WFP's Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Service (From Rome): The 2026 Global Outlook outlines projected food security needs, challenges and WFP’s planned response for next year.
UN INFORMATION SERVICE GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING
18 November
Humanitarian situation in the Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Patrick Youssef, Africa Regional Director at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), who had just returned from Goma, stated that while some commerce had resumed in Goma, the situation in North and South Kivu remained extremely difficult, and people found it challenging to cope with the economic situation and sustain their livelihoods. At the same time, there was a protection crisis, including hostilities away from Goma leading to continuous medical needs. The crisis response was still very much underfunded, and the humanitarian community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was feeling the global finance crunch. Sexual violence increased as a protection concern, while civilians continued to pay the heaviest price, including in detention and IDP camps, said Mr. Youssef. Over 70 percent of weapon-wounded people between January and September 2025 had been civilians, according to ICRC study and statistics. At least 22,800 people in the last nine months had requested psychological aid – those were only the ones who had come forward to ask for support.
Mr. Youssef stressed that the ICRC called on the parties to respect international humanitarian law, to which they had committed in writing. However, those frameworks remained largely hypothetical and had to be applied in practice. Hospitals, as an example, needed medicine and supplies, but they were often hard to reach due to the hostilities. ICRC reiterated its call for access to be facilitated to water, sanitation, and health care. Once finances were there and better access secured, the ICRC would be ready to play an even larger role in eastern DRC. The weapon-bearers had to truly respect the dignity of each individual. While the ICRC saluted efforts to put the conflict to rest, it continued to witness terrible incidents and violations of human dignity on the ground.
Humanitarian situation in Sudan
Patrick Youssef, Africa Regional Director at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said that the ICRC had been working to put a spotlight on El Fasher for months. Its team had been in the surrounding of the city from the beginning of the month, supporting tens of thousands of people. Some 75,000 people in the area would soon be given cash assistance. An ICRC surgical team was now deployed to help the MSF center. ICRC teams were scattered in the areas around El Fasher, as internally displaced persons were moving in different directions. ICRC needed not only access to El Fasher, but also proper conditions to speak to the population and assess their needs. The surge was up and running, but the solution was to get into El Fasher and protect and assist civilians in the best way possible. The Sudanese Red Crescent Society had been doing impressive work and had lost 28 volunteers since the beginning of the conflict. An all-Sudan approach was necessary, stressed Mr. Youssef, reminding that the parties to conflict had committed to respecting international humanitarian law. The ICRC saluted efforts to break the vicious cycle of war. There was hope that the word peace could be immediately connected to the respect of civilians, which would help them become agents of positive change.
Responding to questions, Mr. Youssef said that he was concerned about what might happen with Kordofan next. Every city that changed hands between one side and the other had experienced retaliations and arrests of the civilian population. Preventing further violence was on the top of the ICRC’s agenda. ICRC did not right now have much visibility from inside El Fasher, and every day without access to the city was wasted. ICRC was thus constantly asking for access to El Fasher to sustain a long presence and engage with the population. Without a ceasefire it was impossible to get proper, safe, unhindered access. It was impossible to know how many people were still left in the city and the exact scope of their needs. Information coming from Tawila said that it was a secure area, and Mr. Youssef did not expect that it would turn into another frontline. Systematic attacks against infrastructure, reminded Mr. Youssef, had left as much as 70 percent of medical facilities in Sudan nonoperational. He said that the best way to support people in need was through cash assistance. Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), also emphasized that it was not known at the moment how many people remained in El Fasher; access to the city was thus of key importance.
2026 Global Hunger Outlook
Jean-Martin Bauer, Director of World Food Programme (WFP) Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Service, speaking from Rome, said that the world was facing a global hunger crisis with inadequate resources to respond. According to WFP’s 2026 Global Outlook, a staggering 318 million people would face crisis levels of hunger or worse next year - more than double the figure recorded in 2019. However, declines in global humanitarian funding, with two concurrent famines in 2025 (Gaza and Sudan) were forcing WFP to prioritize food assistance to roughly one-third of those in need. In 2026, the agency aims to reach 110 million of the most vulnerable at an estimated cost of USD 13 billion, but current funding forecasts indicated WFP might only receive close to half that goal. WFP would use all available tools to identify efficiencies. WFP had the teams and deep-field expertise to make sure every dollar donated achieves the maximum impact through effective and efficient programmes.
Rolando Gómez, for the UN Information Service, said that at a Security Council meeting on food insecurity the previous day, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed had stated that war and hunger were intertwined. The world’s total military expenditure over the past decade, estimated at USD 21.9 trillion, yet ending hunger by 2030 costs much less – USD 93 billion per year.
An estimated 14 million people were expected to move from Integrated Food Security Phase Classification IPC3 to IPC4 in 2026 due to the funding cuts, said Mr. Bauer responding to a question. Some 40 million people were already in category IPC4, he added. To avoid this, WFP would need USD 13 billion in 2026, to help some 110 million people around the world. WFP was looking at all possible donors, was choosing whom to prioritize, and it had reviewed down its appeal for 2026, compared to 2025 (when it stood at USD 16.9 billion for 123 million people). In 2026, the WFP was hoping to be able to support about one third of all people who would need nutritional assistance.
Situation in Gaza
Rolando Gómez, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), referred to the note to correspondents sent by the Secretary-Generals’ Spokesman on the adoption of the resolution on Gaza by the Security Council is an important step in the consolidation of the ceasefire, which the Secretary-General encouraged all parties to abide by. It was now essential to translate the diplomatic momentum into concrete and urgently needed steps on the ground.
Ricardo Pires, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), stated that the situation of children and families in Gaza remained catastrophic and the weather creating additional difficulties for the internally displaced people living in makeshift shelters. There were heartbreaking stories of families feeling completely lost after their tents had been carried away by floods. Because of the current division of the Gaza Strip, with Israeli Forces occupying more than 50 percent of the territory, many of the areas where Palestinians were forced to go run along the coast and were also the most flood prone. Children were sleeping in tents without dry, warm clothing, and winter was becoming very dangerous – it could lead to hypothermia and various illnesses. UNICEF and partners had reached over 7,000 families over the past 72 hours and had stocks to support a similar number of families in the coming days. Since the ceasefire and up to 17 November, UNICEF had brought 5,000 family tents, 237,000 tarpaulins, 500,000 blankets, 45,000 mattresses, and 122,000 sets of winter clothes into Gaza. More resources, predictable access and unobstructed humanitarian pipeline were all needed. UNCIEF was optimistic that a peace plan would improve the situation, but the situation for children on the ground remained dire.
Answering questions from the media, Mr. Pires, for UNICEF, said that it was difficult to assess the exact number of people affected by the floods. Not every family in Gaza lived in tents, but those people also needed blankets, warm clothing, and medicine, in case their children got sick due to cold temperatures. The ceasefire did make a difference, but still the amount of aid getting in was not sufficient to address the massive needs accumulated over the two years of destruction. UNICEF tents were waterproof, but even the best-quality waterproof tents might not be able to withstand severe weather conditions over the years. Tarpaulins were not necessarily waterproof, said Mr. Pires. He explained that UNICEF was not bringing into Gaza construction materials; it was bringing in parts necessary for repairing water and sanitation supplies. More humanitarian corridors needed to open, more trucks needed to get in, more continuous, constant access was needed across the Gaza Strip, he stressed. Humanitarian assistance was needed, and it was needed at scale, stressed Mr. Gómez, for UNIS.
There were thus far no reports of children dying of hypothermia, said Mr. Pires in a response to another question. The children of Gaza, however, were much less prepared to handle any extreme weather conditions, having lived through two years of conflict, deprivation, and repeated displacement. Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that the decision by the Security Council, while clearly welcome, now needed to be implemented on the ground. Any new framework should put children at the center of it, added Mr. Pires. Children represented over half of the population in Gaza.
Since the start of the conflict, there had been a surge of severe acute malnutrition. In the first ten months of 2025, 36,243 children had been admitted to stabilization centres for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition, said Tarik Jašarević, for the World Health Organization (WHO).
Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment Summit
Ann Vaessen, for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, informed that the Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment Summit would be co-hosted by the United Kingdom and South Africa on 21 November, in Johannesburg, in the margins of the G20 Summit. The objective was to bring together heads of state, civil society, communities, partners, and the private sector to secure the investments needed to expand life-saving health programs in over 120 countries, mainly in Africa and Asia, from 2026 to 2028. This was a pivotal moment to accelerate the fight to end AIDS, TB, and malaria, and to strengthen resilient health systems. It was also a test of global solidarity, at a time when health budgets were shrinking, and fragile gains were at risk.
Ms. Vaessen provided an overview of progress made and existing challenges. TB deaths were declining again for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. AI-powered diagnostics were helping detect cases faster and more accurately, even in remote settings, saving more lives. Regarding HIV, prevention tools were advancing, especially with Lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable given twice a year, which could transform prevention, especially for young women and girls by removing the daily burden of pills. Thanks to the Global Fund’s access agreement, this breakthrough could become a lifeline in low- and middle-income countries soon. Finally, malaria was facing a perfect storm of climate shocks, conflict, and rising drug resistance, but with funding and innovation, next-generation mosquito nets and vaccines could be scaled up. A new therapy, announced just this week, offered fresh hope against drug-resistant strains and could be the most significant
It was possible to attend the Summit virtually, and interested journalists should reach out to Ms. Vassen.
Announcements
Rolando Gómez, for the United Nations Information Service, reminded that the previous night a statement had been shared on the appointment of Alexander De Croo as the next Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
On 25 November at 2 pm, Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, would hold a press conference on World AIDS Day 2025: Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response.
The Committee against Torture was beginning this morning the review of the report of Bahrain.
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination would begin this afternoon the review of the report of Maldives.
UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) would release today its World Urbanization Prospects 2025: Summary of Results. Live transmission would be provided at UNTV from 6:45 pm Geneva time.
The Young Activists Summit would be held at the Assembly Hall on 20 November from 10 am to 12 noon.
Finally, 19 November was the World Toilet Day, a stark reminder that 3.4 billion people still lived without safely managed sanitation services
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Teleprompter
[Other language spoken]
Thank you for joining us here at the UN office at Geneva for this press briefing.
Today, Tuesday, the 18th of November, we have, as usual, a very busy and important agenda for you.
On my right, Patrick Youssef, who is ICR CS Africa Regional Director.
Very pleased to have him join us here.
He's going to speak to two subjects at the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as Sudan.
We have Ricardo in the room from UNICEF who's going to address the situation in Gaza, as well as a colleague joining from the World Food Programme in Rome, who's going to speak to the global outlook on food security needs, which was the subject at a Security Council meeting yesterday.
In fact, we also have colleagues from the Global Fund who are going to deliver an announcement.
So without further ado, Patrick, over to you for updates on DRC and then Sudan.
Thank you so much and good morning to you all and thanks again for your continuous interest on the DRCI.
Just came back from a mission to the east of DRC to Goma specifically after having spent a few days in Kinshasa, but also in Kigali before getting into Goma.
In order to follow up on the situation, to engage as much as possible with the authorities, but also make sure we understand the current situation and the evolving situation of the civilian population since the onset of this this crisis.
While while some form of life for some commerce, for example, has resumed in Goma, the situation in the North and South Kivu remains extremely difficult to the people we talked to on the ground and the the families I met alongside the Qua Rouge that I heard they say the Red Cross of the DRC showed indeed extreme difficulties to cope with the economic situation, with the rising prices and again with the unavailability of the basic needs that any family would require.
You know, we, we see and we've spoken last time about the double vulnerability of the civilian population and the dual crisis people are living and, and I had to, I'm very fortunate to have seen and witnessed what that means actually on the ground when we speak about a protection crisis, a crisis of respect for international humanitarian law and the basic principles of the Geneva Conventions, human rights law, but also the normal customary traditions that have governed this country for, for decades.
One can see that there are still medical needs.
There are a lot of hostilities in away from Goma, but still very close in Beni.
But there's also a context where, and unfortunately, that's my message today, It is very underfunded with all the attention that we've sought.
We've seen in Paris, at the Paris conference, which I took part in, and we heard a lot of the pledges, quite generous pledges.
On the context, we have to say that we're still very much underfunded.
And as much as the whole humanitarian community is trying its best to be next to the civilian population, we need to underline that in a global contraction for finances, for humanitarian action, DRC should be in a way the exception.
Like all these front lines, open front lines, evolving into the images that you see from violent acts to attacks to the civilian population.
You know, sexual violence has been already a significant concern in terms of protection and that has unfortunately increased dramatically in light of the recent escalation of the conflict.
We do observe also civilians that are still paying the heavy price, be that those who we see, but also those off the grid, those meaning in places of detention or in camps quite away from public eyes.
And therefore we we see like in the Kivu's nearly 70% of the weapon wounded that are treated in the different centres led by the ICRC and the relevant ministries are civilians.
We I visited the hospital in Dosho inside Goma, which with our full surgical team and that keeps on being strengthened by more human resources.
We see a number of civilians and I met with with with wider family that had three of its sons under surgery because of the civility, because of the hostilities.
And that's unfortunately something we see on the increase.
When we say 70% of the weapon wounded, that's the study that we've conducted and the statistics we have from January to September.
And you can imagine and the flare up of 20 of October 2025, these numbers are increasing.
Now, as I said, the sexual violence, which was already a significant concern, we see going according to our assessments that and we visited in Maison de Cootes.
So that's a, that's a centre that is run by the local Red Cross, by the branch of Coma.
And we see, unfortunately, that out of from January to June 2025, nearly 22,800 victims of violence, including sexual violence, needed psychological support.
And I'm sure that's only the tip of the iceberg.
We're talking about 22,000 people only in the last nine months.
And those were the courageous ones that have approached centres or the local Red Cross to put their heavyweight on someone else's shoulder and try and seek some form of support.
Again, I just mentioned those two because they go at the heart of every family, but they also are part of the destruction of the social cohesion communities and tribes and people have to have even in the worst of times, especially in the current situation.
But then we can indeed go into other forms of, of atrocities that we we're witnessing and we're indeed in a very long process, but steady process of bringing these vulnerabilities to the attention of the commanders on the local, local and federal commander and sorry, global commanders on the ground.
And that indeed puts us in a different situation when it comes to the protection of civilians, which shouldn't just be a mean for us to talk on publicly in front of journalists, but to be subject of referrals and interventions made in confidentiality with all the parties to indeed improve the situation of those we see, but also those under arrest, for example.
And let me say that our call here is first and foremost, we, we have seen a strong commitment, we're we're witnessing a strong commitment by the parties to respect international law, as we have seen now in the recent signature of the framework for peace in Doha, which we salute and certainly would like.
Every human being today wants to see an end to the hostilities.
But these frameworks are so theoretical they we really need a way to see how a ceasefire would be implemented and how indeed the delivery of aid can be expanded and surged.
A recent study by the ICRC in September shows that 85% of the hospitals have no medicines anymore.
And I think we've portrayed that in several news releases.
But that is not just a figure that means there is a disruption into how much a hospital or its staff can stand in front of a family and say aye, medical personnel, I'm unable to support you because I have no means.
And hence our public call was even to act as a neutral intermediary to facilitate the delivery of medicines to the centre that we support.
While we are able to get surgical material, it's impossible to get to 1,000,000 and millions of people, the medical needs they need or indeed the attention on the difficult cases like modalesis or other diseases that could be cured.
And here we're not talking of a context where Ebola has resumed or where there are other pockets that require that that much attention.
And when it happens, as in Sudan when we witnessed the great big cholera outbreak, that's unfortunately when we won't be able to respond.
And that's what we should need to avoid in an area that still have some functional medical capacities.
Now that's on the protection side.
And allow me just one word on the structural side of things.
The ICRC with a number, a coalition of partners managed to bring a full water network in West Goma.
And we're working on the northern part now to deliver water in a Safeway, including at the peak of the crisis where we're very cognizant of the fact that more, more of the development actors require these de risking opportunities for them to be functional.
And here, like we did in Paris, we still call on an A specific intention on the critical infrastructure, meaning access to water, access to healthcare, and indeed all the other form of support that is required for the population to remain hopeful.
Now I have to say again, acknowledging the progress in Washington and in Doha, we remain very present on the ground with a big strong team of over 350 colleagues between Benny and and Goma.
We'll also have a strong presence in Bunya, in Bukavu, in the Tories and all of the region.
And we're ready to surge indeed, once the finances are there, but once also we have a better access or a role to play in, in, in the, in the east of DRC, like many of you have witnessed back in end of August, beginning of September with a large scale liberation or transport of over 1300 military, police and family members out of Goma into safety in Kinshasa.
And that will also continue with our continuous engagement with the mediators, be that in Washington or in Doha.
So allow me maybe to stop here for a quick word again on, on the needs as we see them.
I hope this is not a surprise to anyone, but more of confirmation and an eyewitness of what has been unfortunately ongoing and could only be stopped if a ceasefire is reached and indeed a delivery of assistance to the local population.
But more importantly, that the weapon bearers truly respect the sovereignty of every individual, the dignity of every individual and the protection afforded in the Geneva Conventions.
But where we see the numbers on the ground on the number of women that have been sexually abused or those who have been shot in the head or in this in the tooraks.
And I've, I've seen now myself someone shot in the head and he's a civilian.
That is simply unacceptable in this century and unacceptable surpassed without being indeed documented and used indeed as a discussion space and a platform for discussion for these atrocities not to happen anymore.
And therefore, that's our message.
We are very hopeful, but also very watchful of what the events would entail on the ground so that our assessments are the most on the spot and not just to, you know, filmed in the global positivity around the peace process in the East.
DRC while again we salute the efforts to put that war into stopping and into a complete halt.
A quick word on Sudan, maybe we'll just I'll stop there.
Thank you very much, Patrick.
Very important.
So bringing update, I would say let's just maybe take questions on DRC if any before we move on to Sudan.
Colleagues in the room maybe online, No, I don't see that's a case who are very comprehensive.
So let's perhaps move on to another crisis in, in the African regions of Sudan.
Sudan again, we've we've spoken a couple of days ago on, on Sudan and we keep on engaging maybe on the on the, on Sudan.
Just a word before I forget that the ICRC has just released the pictures, photos from the operations in Tawila, which is the one of those hosting grounds for internal displaced fleeing Al Fashir and the very complex situation.
So just a note for our fellows, colleagues, journalists.
So I don't think it's again a surprise to know that we've been screaming and shouting for attention on Al Fashir since a couple of months now.
And the situation that has evolved in and around Al Fashir is indeed very dramatic.
The surrounding remains very critical.
And we've deployed our teams now for the third time and it's been a team has been there since the beginning of the month supporting in addition to the 55,000 people that received cash.
We're in the coming hours or tomorrow, I hope we start delivering to 75,000 people, some cash assistance, but also other form of assistance.
We're hoping that our surgical team that that has been deployed now since the second week of November to support Mitzan Frontieres Centre, which lacks traumatology and where we have indeed partnered with that that institution in order to boost indeed capacities in that field.
You know that our team was in Admira, that is North East of the capital Khartoum and has now migrated to Tawela close to where the events are occurring.
I think in Tawela we've seen that again, the reports that we get is not huge amounts of ID PS, like millions and millions of of people, which we thought would be coming quickly out of Al Fashir.
But also, let's be honest, we don't know where they're going either to Tina, Adre or Abisha or indeed inside the country to Mellit Tina in Sudan or in Tawela.
So our teams are scattered really across, across around Al Fashir from Algena and Nyala to the border with Chad.
And we had indeed a very steady programme of building up capacities in the on the border.
And we now have a stronger team in Tawila, like we had a couple of days before the eruption of this crisis and the breaking of the siege in in there.
So we're increasing our support to the essential medical supplies and having more operational assistance to the MSF supported hospital.
We're hoping obviously, and we have asked very, very clearly to have access to Al Fashir like all other organisations.
But indeed what we need is not just to get in and out.
What we need is to have, like we've always said, the right humanitarian space to be able to sit down with the populations, not just deliver assistance and leave.
We're not a charity organisation, nor is the UN by the way.
What we need is to sit down with people, get their accounts of how much suffering they did, they they endured.
Again, exactly like we're doing now in Towila with people telling our teams that they've come with only a jacket that they're now using to shield themselves from the cold in the in the night and making makeshift tents just because they have nothing.
As you can imagine, like in every crisis in this case, these are not civilians who were in Port Sudan or in Khartoum or in Chad.
These were under siege for a number of months with no food, no water, no medicine, no diapers, nothing.
And they're getting in A to a place where they're hoping to get more assistance.
And yes, the surge is up and running.
But indeed, the solution is to get into Al Fashir and make sure by our presence and by our confidential engagement with the parties, meaning the RSF inside, inside that fascia, that we be able to do our job, that is to protect and assist civilians in the best way possible.
Now I have to salute here the huge courage of the Sudanese Rat Crescent Society, which has been working on both ends of the frontline like the ICRC teams and have indeed unfortunately seen five of their volunteers being killed.
That's not that's not a novelty and that's very unfortunate.
Now over 27 volunteers of the Red Crescent have been killed since the beginning of the conflict.
4 colleagues from the ICRC brothers of ours have also been killed because they were trying to break the front lines and go to the other side and help.
And in this case, I just wanted to bring again, this salute and a lot of respect to those, those working in Al Fashir.
You know that before breaking the siege, we were still able to deliver medical assistance to Al Saudi Hospital, the only running hospital.
We've been able also to have to engage on community kitchens and work.
But that's not, again, just just a small drop in the ocean.
What we need is to have an old Sudan approach.
Don't be fooled.
Let's also focus on all of Sudan.
Al Fashir is today.
Yesterday it was Al Jazeera, before that it was Omdurman and Khartoum.
And therefore we need to have an all Sudan approach and have on both ends of the spectrum the right assistance and protection, like exactly what we and the parties have agreed upon in Jeddah.
And I'm sorry to go back always to that framework, which is historical for the Sudanese counterparts to say they're willing to respect the Geneva Conventions and the basic rules of what customary Sudanese law tell them, no attacks against civilians and against the infrastructure.
So that's our hope, really.
And we're carrying that message not just in front of you, but directly with the parties in wherever they are seen and wherever we can indeed engage with them.
Maybe our last point is the ICRC is obviously and most certainly engaging with the Quad, meaning the United States, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
And we're seeing indeed that there's a larger engagement around including the African Union, but maybe other states that would join.
And here we can only salute breaking that vicious cycle of war and hoping to get indeed some form of ceasefire, not just for the ceasefire, but for the what it means for allowing more humanitarian aid into a very difficult region.
So the ICRC is following up, indeed with the members of the Quad, is in regular in contact with those members, but also with the Sudanese government in Port Sudan and moving into Khartoum, but certainly also with the Rapid Support Forces.
So you can see from wherever we can deliver, we will be.
And we're hoping to increase as much as possible.
I'm sure we can double our budget for Sudan if we're allowed to act on behalf of the civilian population and in support to Sudanese Crescent.
But we're not there yet, and hence we will be able to keep on briefing our donors and engaging with them so that we merge between.
We bring some form of bridging between the political process and a donorship that should fall into taking this context out of its forgotten.
Forgotten status or neglected status.
[Other language spoken]
It is neglected completely.
And we've said it and repeated now several times.
And we're truly hoping that the, you know, the World Peace can be also, you know, immediately connected to the respect of civilians.
Because you respect a civilian, it means you turn that person from a victim to an agent of positive change.
And that was that's what we witnessed in other contexts and I'm sure Sudan is no exception.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Patrick.
And maybe just take this opportunity to echo the salute to your colleague at the Red Crescent and of course, our colleagues on the ground in this very, very complex theatre.
And I also draw your attention, of course, colleagues to the statement that was shared with you last night from Tom Fletcher, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, His comments to journalists yesterday from Andre Chad and he's been, as you know, on a visit to the region for the last several days.
So very important comments he made yesterday.
So over to you for questions, starting with Emma Farge of Reuters.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I'm wondering if you have any concerns about a repeat of a siege like situation that we saw in Al Fashir for so long in Kodafan.
Secondly, do you have much visibility on the situation inside Al Fashir right now?
Obviously comms are not good, but there are these reports of people being barricaded inside and can you get any aid to them?
And thirdly, since you're in touch with the Quad, do you know what the next steps are in the process?
I know there's some meetings in Washington now.
[Other language spoken]
OK, thank you very much.
So I think you're very right to mention what's next.
It's Kordofan as you say and it's and the concern is indeed that we witness another horrible scenario whereby we're unable to get into Kordofan now we're I don't think we're at the same situation in terms of the civilians brought inside in Kordofan.
Are those living in Barra or Kordofan as opposed to Al Fashir which was mainly 2 huge IDP camps with over if I'm not mistaken 500,000 people that have fled from previous wars into into there.
So yes, the concern is certainly there.
And I have to say, I want to compare it to Al Jazeera State.
If you recall, you know, every city that changes or is in a transition between an authority and the other would have to witness, unfortunately, a lot of difficulties for the population to cope with the leadership, with the rules, with the impositions, but also with what it entails in terms of arrests and retaliations against the civilian population.
So yes, we're following up on that and it's one of the major points.
So that again, thinking about preventing further violence, that's on top of our agenda.
We do not have unfortunately a lot of visibility from inside Al Fashir.
I, I have to be also very honest that we had, we had teams inside that are we had, we had a person and the teams of the Red Crescents are still operating in, in Alfashir.
But we have no visual and we don't know really what's happening.
And every day I think is a wasted day without getting access to Alfashir.
And hence that's why we call now very much every day, but also bilaterally with all those states, including the Quad to be able to access Alfashir as quickly as possible.
Well, next steps, next steps for the Quad was indeed what we learned is the there were continuous meetings between the parties.
There were public accounts of of meetings in Washington between the part the indirectly talking to each other, which is a which gets us out of the, you know, the premises of what the Alps or what the Jeddah process entailed.
Meaning entailed and failed in a way or tried its best, but didn't get to that result.
So I'm hoping that the next step would be to announce a three month ceasefire with the right conditionalities that were mentioned now several times by the parties.
Indeed with following up on how the parties are responding to these proposals, I think you've seen that from the Sudanese Armed Forces and the government of Sudan, there was a very clear list of conditions for the ceasefire to be accepted and even extended beyond the three months par.
So we're following up on that.
But as the DRC process and our engagement in Doha, our intention is first and foremost for the parties to agree that there are red, red lines cannot that cannot be transgressed, that cannot be crossed, and that is to inflict more pain.
And those who have no intention to get into a war or to carry a weapon to protect themselves, if we get into that, a ceasefire is indeed it could become a formality rather than a necessity today to stop the war.
But unfortunately, without a ceasefire, we won't be able to get access.
And we tried, as you know, and now for several times to cross when a ceasefire was achieved.
And you saw how many people we have lost and how many trucks and assets we have lost along the way.
So without firm security guarantees and and again, as I read Mr Fletcher's account, I hope that this is now done quite quickly, inclusive of Al Fashir, but also other regions that require the reconstruction or the rehabilitation of human beings and their livelihoods.
Thank you, Patrick and of course, just to remind your colleagues on the political front are S GS personal envoy Ramtane La Mamra is is in regular contact with the authorities in Port Sudan in an effort to advance this genuine Sudanese dialogue aimed towards the lasting peace.
Let's take further questions in the room Inanina from AFP.
[Other language spoken]
Thanks for this briefing.
I was wondering if you could say a little bit about what you're seeing in the people who are arriving in Tuila and other places where your teams are.
What kind of injuries are have they suffered?
Is there sort of a are you seeing systematic use of of certain types of abuse?
I mean, sexual abuse is what we've been hearing and and other, other kinds.
And then also in terms of your contact with the RSF, can you say how that contact is proceeding?
And if you have any, any hope that you might actually be able to have a proper access to Elfasher, you know, how are you, how are those discussions going?
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much for these questions.
And first and foremost, I mean, I appreciate that an angle, the human angle is 1 portrayed on the on the arrivals rather than just the accounts of what they do first.
I mean, what they endured, sorry, following up what their needs is our role.
And I think shedding the light on what they witnessed is certainly your role.
And we're really, I think it's important we don't forget those who are voiceless now and have been voiceless for more than a year and now are able to at least express what their needs and what they lived from the team that went now for several times to Tawira.
What we hear is people are getting out with much with without nothing.
Is it an imposition?
[Other language spoken]
We really don't know.
We're into indeed collecting as much allegations from our teams that we usually do.
I think the story that stuck in my head and that was my colleague Jean Eve telling us that that the families are coming with truly zero with nothing, just walking and getting into Tawela, which as you know is it's in between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces area.
There have they have major needs, namely on nutrition, food, food and water, but certainly on the medical aspect of things where the hospital in Al Saudi hospital had simply the minimum, the bare minimum of services delivered to the population, but not the whole panoply of services.
And as in Tawela with the cholera outbreak, I think the accounts are unfortunately those who we hear from every internally displaced in in the city.
And I'm personally hoping to be in, in Tawela, but also in Darfur or Khartoum in a couple of weeks.
So that we beyond the trip in itself, we want it to be a culmination of the dialogue we already have or so that we can indeed establish presence and continue or search our operations out of therefore out of Towila and other places.
We are indeed in touch with the RSF at all levels from the field to the command ship.
And we are very hopeful that we will get access to Alfashir.
It is a matter of time.
But as my answer to Emma before to her question, it's every day is a wasted day.
We need to get in so that we're witnessing indeed what the civilian population is doing, who are the ones arrested, that they're registered, that they're followed up on, that the people missing.
And you know that from Towila, and I'm sure you've seen our report of the number of phone calls and and messages transmitted between family members as part of our usual process of connecting families.
I'm sure there are thousands that are incommunicado.
We don't know where they are because we simply haven't been able to access those prisoners or detainees.
So that's basically what we're negotiating is not just again to get in and out, but truly to be able to sustain a long presence and engage with the populations like we did back in the days in Alginana, in Nyala and other parts of Darfur and northern for where I worked in 2005.
I know has specific needs because of the severe malnutrition sometimes the area has and hence having a comprehensive approach with other UN agencies, with MSF and other organisations is very much needed.
But let's also not forget we need to support the the local organisations that have stood the test of time in Al Fashir, where no international organisation is present and therefore the Sudanese Crescent, but also the number of social initiative that have been there, in my opinion, require urgent support.
And that's what we hope to get.
But again, I'm very frustrated that not in 24 hours our team were there.
The intention is really to be able to do that as quickly as possible.
Thanks again, Patrick, for the questions in the room before we go online.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
In that case, I'll take a question from Nick, New York Times.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thanks for the briefing.
Yeah, I'd like just to follow up a little bit on on some of Emma's questions.
I appreciate you have no visibility on Old Fashioned, but what is your assessment of how many people are there are left there now civilian particularly and I wondered also do you have any concerns now for the security of two Wheeler?
What is is, is that a situation that's going to become another combat zone?
And also looking at Kordofan, do you have access to Barra and Alibaid?
And can you give or shed any light on the situation in those places?
[Other language spoken]
Well, again, it's impossible to know really the numbers of people who were trapped inside.
It's a major concern and that's why we're that's why we're still talking about Sudan and exposing ourselves because we need to have the right access so that we can establish a, a, you know, a prism of or a framework of assessments that allow us to search.
I really don't know how many people are on the way to, to Chad.
I know our team is, is waiting on the other side, but it really it's impossible to know how many people are in, in the, in the city and what kind of needs do they require.
That's a city that has been dried up from every humanitarian assistance, from agriculture, livestock have been decimated.
So we have to know that between Khatum, between Kabkabia, between Korma and the north of Darfur, there are millions and millions of people, but also large parts of the large part of North Darfur that are just difficult to access in normal times.
And then and hence, it's again, very urgent to to, to get there in Tawela.
[Other language spoken]
And then Intel from the team says that it's a secured area.
And we've spoken to the authorities there about the potential insecurities that could entail a different approach to our humanitarian work.
But for now, I think the teams feel safe and have had the security guarantees to operate.
So I do not expect that this becomes another frontline.
So the access to Barra or to Al Obeid is challenging but possible.
And that's where our teams are currently now pushing and pushing to maintain their presence in the areas that have been covered, but also to get access like in Al Barra quite quickly.
And that's why, in fact, we have deployed the surgical team so that or parts of the surgical team that assists now the existing hospital so that we can absorb as much of the humanitarian needs.
But again, Please note that the intention of the ICRC is not just to come and put a Band-Aid on an infected wound.
The intention here is to try and solve the protection crisis, that is that the population has been enduring.
And by our physical presence, I think we can contribute to that protection, which we've tried and succeeded in many other parts of the world.
And again, Sudan shouldn't be an exception in that stance.
Now allow me maybe to go a little bit higher.
As I said before, on the macro issues pertaining to the war and the whole of the country.
And therefore looking wherever we look, there are humanitarian needs as you, you, you self, you yourself covered.
[Other language spoken]
I think these are episodes that would have to push us to have a comprehensive approach of what our agencies are able to deliver, but also what the parties to the conflict themselves can do to minimise risk and harm on the civilian population.
And that hasn't been working to be honest, especially with the consistent and systematic attacks against the infrastructure which led that 70% of the medical facilities have been out of order.
To be to put it as bluntly as a simply thank you very much again Patrick and maybe just to recite again, what with Mr Fletcher mentioned yesterday in terms of we like, we have no visibility of how many people are in Alfasher.
But he did note since 26 October that is the the latest upsurge of violence, more than 100,000 people have been displaced from Alfasher to the surrounding villages.
So that's just a one very grim statistic.
So let's take further questions, starting going back online rather with John Zaracostas, Franz Foncott.
Can you hear me there, Patrick?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Yes, Patrick, I was wondering if you could bring us up to speed on the situation with severe acute malnutrition into Wheeler and other areas.
We've heard some horrific numbers on children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
What is the ICRC doing and also other agencies listening in on the briefing like well, food programme, WHO home Orcho, what can they tell us what is being done right now?
And also knowing your beat is all of Africa.
There was also an alert of IPC 5 also for South Sudan.
[Other language spoken]
This war hasn't started yesterday and the siege has led to severe malnutrition to a point where the UN had announced indeed a famine or made a famine declaration on Al Fashir.
So they naturally would be witnessing severe malnutrition for kids.
And that's what NSF and WFP have been working on.
I don't have all the details, but I know that they have these capacities and they're working on that situation.
That's why we teamed up with an existing structure rather than waste time and open a new structure in Tawila or support another structure.
So, you know, coalescing our own efforts together will help us.
Now our team on the ground have seen that the best approach is to support with cash assistance, which then allows the economy to to work and it's the easiest way to achieve a result.
In this case.
I'm sure there are specific cases of severe malnutrition that MSF has, but I don't have the figures.
And therefore if if in in our assessment and as we speak, we will get into that, I'm sure the Red Crescent Society of Sudan has the capacity with the support of the ICRC.
Please also note that there's a a large more than a handful of participating national societies, meaning other countries have sent their own Red Cross or Red Crescent societies to Sudan and are happy and willing to support.
And we're leaning on their own capacities in this world of financial contraction to be able as a Red Cross, Red Crescent movement to work together on finding solutions and South Sudan.
I don't have the latest figures and I know I don't know if you're referring to specific pockets in rank in the northwest or the North East, but we'll be we'll follow up.
We'll follow up on that for sure.
Now you know that the teams are are spread across South Sudan and have been following indeed the influx of the return of of South Sudanese returnees and whatever the situation will be, we have a much better access and which with less security concerns to be able to respond quickly.
But let me then focus on your question and your assessment and we'll get back to you, John as quickly as possible.
But I don't, I don't know where exactly that pocket had been identified, but I'm sure it's not the whole country nor it's nor hold of north neither in the equatorials for that region as a general term.
But I'll follow up on that for sure.
Thanks very much.
And Carly, just to maybe illustrate the complexity of this conflict, we have S Sudanese refugees in Sudan of which have been displaced.
It's just an absolutely horrific situation in the whole region.
So thanks very much for those questions.
I think that exhausts the questions on Sudan.
So I'd like to thank you very, very much.
[Other language spoken]
It's always a pleasure to have you here.
Hopefully, you can come back with some good news, better news.
[Other language spoken]
And thank you again very much.
OK, we're going to shift.
Ricardo, if I can call you up here while Ricardo makes his way up.
Maybe colleagues, if I, if I may just refer to a statement which you will have seen this morning.
It's actually a note to correspondence from our spokesperson in New York on behalf of the Secretary General concerning the adoption of the resolution on Gaza by the Security Council.
Again, we shared this with you moments ago and it and it notes that this adoption is an important step in the consolidation of the ceasefire, which the Secretary General encourages all parties to abide by.
So there's more in that statement which we shared with you about 1/2 hour ago.
Without further ado, over to you, Ricardo and thank you very much for this update on Gaza.
Over to you.
Thank you, Rolando.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
As the attentions, as you said, Rolando, are focused on the diplomatic developments that took place yesterday.
The situation of children and families in Gaza remains catastrophic, extremely dire with the temperature, temperatures changing and the weather creating a lot of difficulties to an already exhausted population.
Severe rain and floodings have deepened the suffering of children and families in Gaza, particularly for internally displaced families living in makeshift shelters.
An estimated 1717 thousand families have been affected over the last three or four days.
We're seeing heartbreaking stories of desperate families feeling completely lost and exhausted after their tents got flooded.
Most of them have been displaced multiple times and lost everything in the past two years.
Their possessions, their homes, loved ones.
When children are sleeping in flooded tents without warm clothing or dry bedding, many lacking the required nutrition, with very low immunity and already traumatised by conflict, winter becomes extremely dangerous.
It can lead to hypothermia, respiratory infections and prevent preventable deaths.
Because of the current division of the Kaza strip, with Israeli forces occupy more than 50% of the territory, many of the areas where Palestinians were forced to go run along along the coast and are also the most flood prone.
UNICEF and partners have rapidly scaled up assistance as we could, reaching 8800 families within within 72 hours.
Despite large scale deliveries since the ceasefire, stocks are now depleting and can only support an additional 7500 families in the coming days and the weather is expected again to worsen and and impact will be very, very similar and not worse, if not worse to what we're seeing right now in Gaza.
In terms of latest response and supplies.
Since the ceasefire up to 17th 17th November, UNICEF has brought 5000 family tents, 237,000 tarpaulins, 500,000 blankets.
That's half a million blankets for children and families across the Strip, 45,000 mattresses and 122,000 sets of winter clothes into Gaza.
But severe weather risks are expected again to continue in the weeks ahead, leaving families without safe, safe shelter, clean water and warm clothing exposed to heightened Health Protection and safety risks.
To sustain and scale the response, more resources, predictable access and, and and a steady unhindered supply pipeline through all humanitarian corridors are urgently needed.
So we're, we're calling again for more humanitarian aid to get in.
As as we can see, the weather is just another element, an important dangerous element right now for children.
But the situation with nutrition, access to clean water against shelter and and access to healthcare remains very, very dire.
So we're very optimistic that the peace plans will improve the situation.
But again, the reality for children on the ground continues to be very tragic.
Thank you, Rolando.
Thanks to you, Ricardo.
OK, let's take questions in the room, Jeremy at Fe.
[Other language spoken]
Rolando, several questions here on the figures, I think you mentioned 17,000 families.
Can you give us what, what does it mean in terms of total population 17,000 families, if we think that's a 234 person per household?
So basically how many people like to understand also what is lacking right now?
You mean like obviously humanitarian aid, but is there in any specific, you mean is it tense because the tense are floated right now?
So do you need something special that you cannot get into the the Gaza Strip right now?
And also basically when I hear what you're saying is that there is no improvement since last winter.
So does it mean that ceasefire, no ceasefire, it doesn't make any difference when it comes to housing and living conditions for the people in the Gaza Strip during winter time?
[Other language spoken]
Thank you for your questions.
In terms of the consolidated number of of people impacted, we don't, we don't have a figure.
We know 17,000 families, an average of four or five people per family.
Perhaps we can try and do the maths, but we don't again have a number of people impacted because that level of assessment hasn't hasn't been possible.
Also due to the difficulty in reaching out to these areas that have been flooded and are severely impacted and again at risk.
In terms of what has improved, I mean, obviously since the ceasefire, we've managed to get a lot more tents in tarpaulins, winter clothes, blankets, coats for children clothing and, and, and this makes a difference which last year was was not as, as, as prominent in terms of quantity crossing inside the Gaza Strip.
So obviously because we have now 3 humanitarian crossings open and functioning at at different speeds and levels of inspection and, and therefore quantity of aid getting in, we're managing to respond a lot better than we did last year.
But again, when it comes to climatic shock shocks and and severe weather, sometimes even when you are pre positioned then you have a lot of supplies ready to to go it.
It doesn't come out as as positively as as you would expect.
And again, after two years of war and, and wide destruction in Gaza, families have been living in tents that many of them are not waterproofs or, or waterproof or that have been deteriorated over the past year or so because of the, of the horrible conditions they, they have been living in.
And because of also conflict that has only recently stopped.
So not every family or every person in Gaza is living in a tent.
Lots of people try to go back to whatever is left to their homes in the centre areas or in the north, the northern part of Gaza.
And they're also exposed to, to, to weather and, and severe, severe storms and flooding and, and cold temperatures.
So we can reach out to them.
They don't need tents, but they do need blankets.
They didn't, they do, they do need warm clothing.
They do need medicines in case their children get sick because of the cold temperatures.
So again, to, to answer to your question more directly, the ceasefire has made a difference.
We are managing to get more in, but it's not enough.
It's the same thing we've been saying about this crisis for so long.
Whatever aid we get in, it's, it's not necessarily a drop in the ocean anymore, but it's definitely not responding and addressing the scale and the level of deprivation and destruction and needs that have been unfolding for the last two years.
Thanks very much.
[Other language spoken]
When you say that most of the tents, I don't know if you said most of, but you're saying that the tents are not waterproof.
Technically speaking, when you manage to get tents into the Gaza Strip, are they waterproof or they're not like how many of them are actually made to resist water?
Sorry.
I think most of the the tents are waterproof.
Can speak for UNICEF that the the the quality of the tents that we deploy and get into the Gaza Strip can endure weather, but again, severe weather.
It's, it's very different than the average rain.
So even the, the best quality tents that are waterproof might not sustain the, the level of deprivation and, and destruction and, and the horrible conditions on the ground.
The tarpaulins are not necessarily waterproof and they are being, they have been used also to build shelter, right.
So again, when you have strong storms coming in, and I'm not a weather expert, but I can speak from what I hear colleagues sharing on the ground the, the conditions of those tents because of the winds and because of the multiple displacements and having to build and rebuild their temporary shelters for so long.
They just, they just deplete they, the, the quality goes down as as with any, I guess, commodity as as such and, and therefore the need to replace them is, is is very urgent.
And when it comes to the tents, even the waterproof ones will not endure 2-3 years of, you know, repeated conditions, severe weather conditions.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I was wondering, you're talking about more materials coming in for for tents in winter, but what about building materials?
Is that something that you're seeing coming in?
Because there, I mean, people are trying to rebuild structures, I assume and that's pretty important.
And especially with the decision yesterday to bring in aid at scale.
Are you hopeful that that is one of the issues that I mean, one of the the items that will be be brought in?
That was one question.
And then I also had a question on you were talking about the dangers for children when that are suffering these the situation.
Have you already seen, are there already children who are freezing to death or are if you could sort of give us more insight into into that?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
In terms of construction materials, that's not something UNICEF has brought into Gaza.
We do bring essential parts and, and equipment to, to repair water infrastructure, for example, which has been a challenging exercise for us in terms of getting it through inspections and Israeli approvals.
They, some of these parts are, are not considered single use.
So they're considered again, the, the, the dual use and, and not allowed in.
And we have to advocate strongly for them to, to cross into Gaza so we can start repairing water pumps and other, other water infrastructure.
So on in terms of water and sanitation, yes, UNICEF has been bringing parts in and we'll continue to advocate for that.
But in terms of construction of building and clearance of rubble, I don't think we're the best position to to answer that question.
As far as the the new developments and, and the UN Security Council resolution and and increasing access of aid, absolutely that's something that we will call for.
It is part of the deal.
And we need to see more humanitarian corridors open.
We need to see more quantity of aid getting in, more trucks, more corridors again, more access.
We have Zikim open now and and just recently UNICEF managed to get 96 pallets of high energy biscuits to go to the north of Gaza, which is a positive development that but again, 96 pallets to respond to, to the needs of over 2 years of, of, of deprivation.
It's not enough repeating the same sentence again.
[Other language spoken]
And hopefully with the new plan that will become a reality for children and families.
And, and this is explicitly mentioned in the statement which I referred to yesterday, among other things, you know, saying what we've been repeating here for, for nearly 25 months now, that we do need humanitarian assistance.
We need it at scale.
This, this diplomatic momentum must translate into something lasting.
And this is explicitly mentioned in the S GS message.
Of course, you know, the I the onus is on and the colleagues, you know, to fulfil the need to transform this not into, you know, something theoretical right now, but it has to be lasting.
And this is something that that the SG has been saying since day one.
So humanitarian assistance at scale, supporting all efforts to move the parties towards the next phase of the ceasefire as well.
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, I just wanted to follow up on my the last part of my question, which was on the on the children and the in terms of the cold that they're suffering.
And if you have seen what you've seen in terms of impacts on them, if I mean, if there are kids who have frozen to death or if they're what kind of injuries they're suffering.
Gladly, so far we haven't received any reports of children dying of hypothermia or or cold.
However, we are seeing the needs increasing in terms of medical care because of, of severe weather events recently.
And, and how, you know, because their immunities are so low after two years of malnutrition, starvation, trauma, multiple displacements that they're much less prepared to, to handle any shift in, in and conditions on the ground, including with their health.
So we, we do know that children are requiring more medical attention because of the severe weather events that have happened recently.
But I, I don't have specifics in terms of number of children who've been admitted or have been screened for any, any particular illness related to, to climatic shocks or or severe events.
Thank you very much.
And maybe going back to your previous question on construction, we'll, we'll definitely try to get some answers for you on what, if any, is earmarked to move in on Construction News.
We have heard from colleagues who addressed this issue in the past, but we'll, we'll get an update for you.
Emma, I had one question on supplies, kind of a follow up to Jeremy's, but then also one more general question on the US resolution that was passed yesterday.
And I don't know if other colleagues, maybe Archer might, might also be able to weigh in on that one.
Yeah, but on on the ceasefire supplies running out, as you mentioned.
I'm, I'm just wondering why it is that the opening of the new crossing in the North hasn't helped more.
I'd heard some rumours that maybe it was only half open one day but not the next.
I was just wondering if if that was part of the problem on supplies, maybe you would do that one and then I'll go to the more general one.
[Other language spoken]
Emma, I think that the the Zekem opening is again very welcome and and positive news.
We need more open, more humanitarian crossings open as as I mentioned before, from what I understand from colleagues on the ground, this is not a one off and and nor it is partially operating.
We managed to get these 96 pallets of high energy biscuits relatively quickly.
They were collected yesterday and now UNICEF will pick them up inside Gaza and and take them to our, to the communities in need, to our beneficiaries.
We are expecting a continuous flow of supplies in Zicim.
So I, I don't have any information that differs to that.
So again, we're, we're hopeful that this will be another positive development as we move forward with a more sustainable plan to, to rebuild Gaza and, and take civilians and children out of this constant suffering.
Thank you very much.
I don't know if if he answers anything to add, but again, if you wanted to join me here, of course, he ends again.
The, the the idea is to turn this this decision that that we are referred to earlier into concrete action through all the various Ways and Means that we've been hearing from colleagues talking about in their messaging that maybe Yens has something to add.
Could you just repeat the question?
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, sorry.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
And I appreciate you you sharing the statement, Ricardo, it stated yesterday.
[Other language spoken]
So I'd be really grateful if other agencies could just react to the the decision to pass the US drafted resolution is, is this a step closer to helping Gazans rebuild their lives?
And also China and Russia abstained because they said it didn't have a clear enough role for the UN.
Do you share that sentiment?
[Other language spoken]
We will echo what the secretary general has said.
Obviously, who will do that?
We are part of the UN Secretariat.
So that is what we have to say for now, at least on, on, on that.
We're still, as you all know, in the hypotheticals.
It's it's a decision that is made in the, in the Security Council.
Now it needs some meat on the bones on on this, but there was a clear welcome from from the Secretary General.
Yep, Ricardo, I can add something Emma, we just reiterate that any new plan or framework should really put children at the very centre of it in line of course with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, which are non negotiable for UNICEF and and for the UN.
Children represent half of the population in Gaza and hold the greatest potential to rebuild a peaceful, healthy and thriving society.
But nonetheless they remain the most vulnerable to the ongoing instability, deprivation, disease and displacement.
As I've mentioned just now in in in my previous points, for more than two years they have suffered the highest levels of physical harm and psychological trauma.
So ensuring that their safety, education, healthcare, mental well-being and family unity is not only illegal and more imperative, it's actually a practical investment in long term stability and recovery for Gaza.
So a plan that prioritise children lays the foundation for lasting peace, dignity and opportunity for people in Gaza.
Thank you both very much, John Zaracostas.
Yes, I'm coming back to my earlier question and if concerning severe acute malnutrition in the Dafu region and if Christian from WHO or Yens from Macha or Jean Omar Tan from Well Food Programme or Ricardo could bring us up to date, what is being done to help this according to some children's NGOs, very high numbers of severe acute malnutrition in the region.
[Other language spoken]
Maybe maybe we can Tarek is connected if he there he is and his hand is up.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
John and I, I was just sending you by by e-mail as as I wasn't quick enough to raise my hand when we talked about Sudan.
So what I have really here is, is, is that since the start of the conflict, there was a there was a surge in acute malnutrition and in 2020 five, 3.7 million people I need of nutrition response.
Now colleagues from UNICEF estimated 770,000 children under five years I will suffer from severe acute malnutrition in 2025.
The figure I have is that between January 1st and October 31st this year, 36,243 children have been admitted to stabilisation centres for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition with medical complications.
Now WHO, WHO is providing Technical Support and supplies for 143 operational stabilisation centres in in 2025 for the management of severely acute malignational children with medical complications, helping to treat those 36,243 that I just mentioned.
We are, there are also like 47 out of those 143 salvation centres getting support from WHO, not only technical but also operational support, including running costs, staff incentives and hygiene supplies.
I will send, I already sent you John, all these details so you'll have the figures.
Thanks, Tarek and and colleagues, let me remind you that Jean Martin Bauer, our colleague from WFP is online and he's going to be briefing next on on global outlook on food security.
And maybe you can chime in on this point.
I don't know if Jens, did you have something to add on the previous questions?
No, just if, if I John, if I understood correctly, you're asking about malnutrition and Al fascia was was that the question, John?
Yeah, Alfasia is the not only Alfasia, other parts of the DAFU as well.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
But as you also just heard from our Red Cross colleagues, we don't even know how many people are in Alfasia.
So what we need first is to get access and as you have seen from Emergency Relief Coordinator Fletcher's briefing yesterday, that is what he has been working on very hard and he got some assurances both from from both sides of the conflict that is clear significant progress towards access.
It's not there yet, but that what he has been working on at the same time we have been searching more people into Darfur as a whole for the purpose of of being ready once that access is there, but of course also respond to to the needs across that entire region.
Thank you very much, Jens.
I'm sorry, Carly, I know we're moving around different subjects here, but all very, very important subjects indeed.
So I think that concludes Gaza.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much to Carlo and Yens, of course.
And as I mentioned, Jean Martin Bauer, who's the Director of WF PS Food Security and Nutritional Analysis Service is joining us from Rome and we're very pleased to have you with us.
Jean Martin 2026 Global Outlook on food Security.
So over to you.
[Other language spoken]
What I'd like to do today is walk you through the global outlook of 2026.
This really captures our latest analysis and and what needs to be done to respond to global acute food insecurity worldwide.
So our analysis shows that 318 million people worldwide are facing acute food insecurity.
That's a number.
To put it into perspective, that's double the number that existed in 2019 before the pandemic.
We're at a plateau, a very high need worldwide and also a very severe need.
For the first time this century, we have two famines at the same time, women taking place in Gaza and the other one in parts of of Sudan.
As as my colleagues mentioned earlier on, this is unprecedented and the problem that we lay out in this global outlook is that the world's response remains slow, fragmented and underfunded.
We have a drastic funding cuts impeding WFP operations.
Almost every single operation of WFP has been facing steep reductions in in rations or in beneficiaries, in food provided and cash provided to people who are very vulnerable.
We're also prioritising people who need help now.
At the same time that the humanitarian resources are becoming scarce.
We're also facing attacks on our colleagues and that's a revealing a growing disregard for international humanitarian law.
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These funding cuts are having an impact on people already.
We believe that the impacts of these funding cuts will translate into increased food and security worldwide.
We estimate that approximately 14 million people will move from crisis to emergency levels of hunger as a result of the cuts to, to, to international assistance.
Now this is a a sombre reality it but it we're still determined to to to continue changing life, to continue doing our very best on the ground.
And what we're appealing for in 2026 is an operational requirement of 13 US bill U.S.
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dollars to assist 110 million people with life saving and life changing support.
All these figures were were determined with the rigorous analysis.
We'll be getting there by leveraging innovation, by leveraging things we do very well, such as digital cash transfers.
We'll be leveraging or AI tools to find efficiencies in our supply chain to reduce costs and reach people faster even in the the world's most complex environments.
In closing, what I'd like to do is remind you that food assistance, it's more than life saving relief, It's it's stability, it's dignity, it's hope.
And we need to continue our commitment to to ending hunger worldwide.
Back to you in the room.
Thank you very much and as you referred to, we had this meeting at the Security Council yesterday on food insecurity.
At that meeting, the Deputy Secretary General, Amina Muhammad emphasised that war and hunger are intertwined, with starvation increasingly used as a weapon, as she noted that while global military spending reached $21.9 trillion over the past decade, ending hunger by 20-30 would cost 93 billion.
Now that that is I just did the math and that's less than 1% which is, which is really puts things into perspective.
So very important.
And of course she noted what Mr Bauer just noted about having two famines which is unprecedented.
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So thank you very much.
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We have a question from Jean Zaracostas of France Funcat.
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Martin, can you elaborate a little bit this estimate of more than 40 million people were moved from crisis to emergency levels.
Are we talking people moving into IPC four and what is the risk of people falling into IPC five?
I think last week there was an alert for six countries including Haiti, Mali, Sudan, South Sudan and Gaza and also Yemen.
So can you break down a bit of this crisis shifting to emergency and where are the worst situations around the world?
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Now exactly what's going on is that we estimate that almost 14 million people will move from IPC 3 to IPC 4.
So that's from crisis to emergency.
We use the international scale, the international reference for food security analysis and the numbers we provide.
So that's the, the, the, the framework used by the integrated food security phase classification phase one being normal, phase two stress, phase three crisis, phase 4 emergency in phase 5 catastrophe.
And if enough evidence is there for, for people in phase five, then that that that's a confirmed famine.
So what we're telling you today is that the funding cuts that are taking place are going to push 14 million people from phase three prices to phase 4 emergency.
They're very clear because people fall below a specific threshold of kilocalories And, and that means they're, they're, they're that much more vulnerable.
To be very clear with you, you've got, you have about 40 million people at baseline in category 4 emergency.
And what we're telling you today is that these funding cuts would push people, 14 million of them into phase four.
That would be a, a, a, almost a, a 30% increase increase in the level of people in phase four.
What WP is telling you is that to avoid this, we're going to need $13 billion to help 110 million people worldwide.
Now your question is about the, the, the, the most severe cases, the people in category 5 in IPC phase five.
And as you, as you mentioned, there are a group of countries that are at risk.
These countries include Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Haiti, Mali and Yemen.
These are countries that either already have people in phase five that are already facing time and conditions or that have a risk of falling into that that category of extreme food insecurity.
We also have an eye on other conditions situations in the world.
We're we're, we're very concerned about what goings on in Afghanistan, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia and Syria for different reasons.
So the fact is the number of people in Category 5 has increased tremendously in the past few years as a result of conflict and as a result of reduced access for humanitarians.
We need to work on that in order to avoid the worst.
Thank you very much in the room, Emma Reuters.
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Thank you for this briefing.
I'm wondering if if you're thinking about changes to your funding model, given how grave the funding situation is, obviously the needs are getting bigger, but the money's just not there.
Could you maybe think about cutting your budgets down to more realistic levels or perhaps get some rich individuals to contribute more?
How are you thinking about these issues going forward?
And secondly, I'm just wondering if you had any response to the US government withholding food aid, the SNAP system, Could the US ever become a situation of concern for WFP, maybe even a beneficiary?
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So I'm not the answer to what we're doing to address the resource shortfall.
The answer is all of the above.
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We are talking to everybody in order to increase our resource base.
We've also reviewed our appeals.
So if you compare the numbers I gave you today, today I'm telling you we need for 2020 six, $13 billion to help 110 million people.
Last year we had higher numbers.
We asked for $16.9 billion to help 123 million people this year.
Now the appeal for 2026 is smaller.
It's smaller not because of reduced need.
In fact, the needs are are still very high.
They're still very, very concerning.
But we've reduced the need to be as realistic as possible and we've prioritised the most vulnerable in, in, in what we do.
And these are very difficult decisions.
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It's really a taking from the hungry to feed the starving.
We shouldn't be in that position at all.
The the question on the US and snap I, I think is, is not for me to answer back to the room.
Thanks very much, Nina.
AFP, thank you very much for the briefing.
I wanted to clarify some of the numbers a little bit because I saw that you had a joint report with the FAO last week when you were talking about that only 10.5 billion had been received so far of a required 29 billion to help those in need, I guess.
I guess that was a joint, the joint appeal for 2025.
It was a little unclear how, how does that compare to today's report?
And then if I understand correctly from what you're saying today, WFP is not saying you're you're going to help only a third of those you know who are in need and you expect that you'll only get half of the amount you need to help them properly that third is that accurate?
And finally, I was just wondering if you, if you could give us some examples of what you're expecting to see.
I mean, you've mentioned these areas with famine and and very high levels of concern.
Are we expecting to see mass hunger from, from this system where there's not enough money to fund?
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Those are great questions and, and thank you for following our work so closely.
The, the, the report last week you mentioned it was the FAOWFP report on the hunger hotspots which identified countries of concern.
It mentioned a, a funding figure, but that was for the overall humanitarian food sector.
What I'm telling you today, the numbers I, I have for you today are about WFP specifically and about the needs we have, the urgent needs we have for, for our own response.
So and, and the numbers I mentioned, so 13 billion for 110 million people, that's for 2026.
I hope that that's clear.
The number for 2025 for WFP was 16.9 billion for 100 and, and 23 million people.
I hope that's, that's really clear on where we're at with the numbers.
As you say, what this means is that we're, we're, we're saying that there are 318 million people in acute food insecurity worldwide.
We will be proposing a plan of action to support about 1/3 that does leave a gap.
And, and, and, and there are questions about how, how prioritisation takes place and, and, and how we make sure that we, we focus our resources on the most vulnerable.
But that's exactly what we're going to be doing with our data tools, with our partners to ensure the resources target the, the those who need the most.
Now, what we're expecting in some of these countries is, is, is quite, quite harrowing.
The research that we've done in the past few years shows that there's an intimate link between conflict and hunger and that there's a link between increased food insecurity and migration.
And we're seeing some worrying trends already.
My colleagues in Afghanistan, for instance, where the coverage of food programmes is reduced quite substantially, that's having impacts on people.
They're telling me that 9 out of 10 women who turn up to nutrition centres in Afghanistan are being turned away without food.
They're coming, sometimes walking for a very long time with their children in the hope of receiving a ration for, for, for their young child, and they're being turned away.
This, this is, this is what, what, what the situation means.
This is what this lack of resources entails.
Its impact on individuals who are very vulnerable, but often women, children, displaced people, their impact on stability for countries that that aspire to stability.
And there could be impact at the regional level for countries that have nothing to do with this problem, but who are exposed to the consequences of, of, of out of control hunger in a in a country nearby.
Thanks, It's very clear.
Thank you very much, Jean Martin.
I think that concludes.
And of course, if you can share your notes, that would be very helpful as well.
I think that does it for questions.
So thank you once again.
It's always a pleasure to have you join us here.
And, and please do so in in the near future.
OK, colleagues, we have Anne on the call from the Global Fund.
And thank you very much for your patience.
Anne has an update from the Global Fund 8th Replenishment Summit.
Anne, over to you indeed.
And good morning, everyone.
It's quite difficult to actually speak after the colleagues in those very difficult topics.
We're in the home run to our 8th replenishment summit.
It's taking place on Friday in the margins of the G20 summit in Johannesburg and it's Co hosted by the United Kingdom and South Africa.
It's of course a very important vote for us for the fight against the three diseases, against HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
We hope to secure investments that we will need to expand these life saving programmes in over one 21120 countries, mainly Africa and Asia from 2026 to 2028.
So for the next three years basically.
So why does this matter?
Well, because it's a pivotal moment to accelerate the fight against the three diseases, to strengthen health systems.
And it's also frankly a test of global solidarity at a time when health budgets been shrinking and fragile gains are at risk.
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I know we're under pressure, but a very quick one of the fragile progress made so far, but also of the transformative opportunities ahead.
Well, for TD, for instance, the global TD report was released last year, last week.
And we know that we're finally declining.
Deaths are declining again, first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
We have AI powered diagnostics that help detect cases faster and more accurately, even in remote settings, in conflict settings and the settings that my colleagues Patrick and Ricardo were talking about.
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When it comes to HIV, we have prevention tools, prevention tools that are advancing at a very rapid pace, especially with MENA Kapavir, you might have heard about it.
It's a long acting injectable that you can give just twice a year and it's almost effective at 100%.
And it could basically transform prevention, especially for young women and girls who are still those who are most affected by HIV AIDS, by removing daily burden of pills, by giving something that's more discreet, more easy, easy basically not to not to show to society.
And thanks to an access agreement that we made a few months ago, this can actually this basic life saving tool could already become a lifeline in low and middle income countries at the same times in high income countries.
That's a historic moment in the very near future.
The malaria, we're facing a perfect storm, climate shocks, conflict.
You, my colleagues have just talked about rising drug resistance, but with funding and innovation we can scale next generation mosquito Nets, we can scale vaccines and recently there's even been a new malaria therapy, it was announced last week and it's gives fresh hope against drug resistant frame.
So there are innovative breakthroughs on the table, but they must be seed, they must be scaled in an equitable manner and of course they must be funded.
But we're really at the crossroads here.
So in a nutshell, Writing Summit is not just about financing programmes, it's about delivering on the promise of health and well-being for all.
It's about transforming societies and it's about ensuring that future generations, our kids potentially only know HTTP and malaria as diseases we have overcome.
Some of you colleagues in Johannesburg will attend in person and if you'd like to join virtually, let me know and I'll send you the registration.
And if you have questions, of course, you know me where to find you know where to find me.
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Thank you very, very much.
And I'm sure colleagues will be reaching out to you for that link and additional material.
So good luck for this summit.
This is Friday.
Do we have questions for Anne?
No, I think you are very clear.
So thank you again and and good luck to you this this coming week.
OK, colleagues, nearly done.
Just wanted to flag a few things as usual.
Just wanted to make certain you've seen the statement we shared with you last night after hours, which is to announce the appointment of Mr Alexander Decru of Belgium as the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, and his nomination was confirmed by the General Assembly yesterday.
We shared with you a statement to that effect, noting that of course, Mr Decru succeeds Mr Steiner Achim Steiner of Germany, and whom the Secretary General is grateful for his leadership and commitment.
And the SG also expressed his appreciation to Hailong SU, who is the Associate Administrator of UNDP, who has been and will continue to serve as the acting administrator, told Mr Decru assumes his position.
He has.
Mr Decru has an impressive resume, which is contained in the statement we shared with you last night, so we'd encourage you to read that.
I have a press conference to announce this coming Tuesday, the 25th of November, World AIDS Day 2025.
Subject is Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response, the title for this year's report.
The Executive Director, Winnie Biannima will be here to speak with you in this room at 2:00 PM on the 25th of November at a press conference meetings.
As Alessandro mentioned, we have the Committee against Torture, which is still underway this morning.
It's the review of Bahrain taking place at the Committee Against Torture and the Committee on the Elimination of Relational Discrimination.
SERD kicked off yesterday during session during which several country reports will be reviewed, Maldives, Guatemala, Sweden, Burundi, New Zealand, Tunisia and today or this afternoon rather, it's Maldives.
I also want to give you a heads up, colleagues.
This afternoon there is the release of a report, the World Urbanisation Prospects 2025 report from our colleagues at DESSA, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
If you're interested, we can share that report with you under embargo for 6:45, our time today.
As I mentioned earlier, the Young Activist Summit is taking place this week, this Thursday, the 20th.
It's a great event.
If you could show up in the Assembly Hall, it's from 11:50 on Thursday.
5 young activists from Cote d'Ivoire, India, Lebanon, Brazil, Japan, speaking to very, very interesting achievements that they've made to drive positive change in their countries and in the region.
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So definitely very impressive youngsters who will be speaking.
We have also others who will be addressing the this important event on Thursday and I just wanted to flag that tomorrow is World Toilet Day, the 19th of November, which is actually a theme that will be addressed by some of the laureates.
Clean water, sanitation immensely important and this is something which UNICEF of course, providing these figures.
Contaminated water can spread diarrheal, diarrheal diseases which kill over 1000 children a day.
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That's about, I don't know how many jumbo jets crashing doesn't quite make the headlines, but this is a stark statistic which I think we need to be reminded of.
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This is a central message for World Toilet Day tomorrow.
And in fact, one of our colleagues, our young man from India is dealing with water sanitation in India and he'll be speaking about that at the yes this Thursday.
That's it for me.
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No, in that case, have a good afternoon and see you here on Friday.
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