UN Geneva - Multimedia Newsroom : UN Geneva Press Briefing

So let's start this briefing.

[Other language spoken]

Today is Friday, 30th of October.

And here in Geneva we have our bi weekly press briefing and I'd like to give the floor immediately to our colleague of the Joint Inspection Unit.

We have the pleasure to have with us the Executive Secretary, Mika Tapio to give us a little update on the anniversary of GIU, which is 60s year old Mika.

Thank you, Alessandro and good morning ladies and gentlemen and thank you for the opportunity to introduce, Allow us to introduce to join Inspection Unit's 60th anniversary and our upcoming high level panel discussion organised to commemorate the anniversary on the 4th of November, which is this coming Wednesday.

On that day, the JIU will mark 60 years since it's in the establishment by the United Nations General Assembly in 1966.

The JIU remains the only independent external oversight body of the United Nations system with the system wide mandate.

Rather than focusing on one organisation, the JIU examines challenges across participating UN system organisations, identifies common weaknesses and good practises, and recommends improvements in management, governance, accountability and coordination.

This perspective matters because many UN challenges do not stop at organisational boundaries.

Over 6 decades, JIU reviews have helped inform institutional improvements in areas including human resources, administration, governance, accountability and risk management, just to name a few.

For example, our reviews of whistleblower protection and investigation functions in the UN system highlight the gaps in arrangements for allegations involving executive heads of UN organisations.

Subsequent institutional processes in a number of UN organisations have addressed procedures for handling such allegations.

As a result of JIU recommendations in multilingualism, the United Nations Strategic Framework issued in 2024 explicitly acknowledges that it was developed in implementation of a recommendation from the Jiu's 2020 review.

Our work on accessibility for persons with disabilities have have has likewise informed efforts to make UN conferences and meetings more inclusive.

The JIU provides independent analysis and recommendations, while responsibility for decisions and implementation rests with UN organisations, their management and governing bodies.

This, this, this distinction is very important because JIU's role is to equip decision makers with evidence they can use to bring about improvement.

The anniversary comes at the pivotal moment.

Final constraints and growing demands for efficiency and accountability have renewed attention for reform.

Hence the UN80 initiative was launched in 2025.

But reform should not be measured by cost savings and structural change alone.

The real questions are whether organisations are indeed becoming more effective, accountability is stronger, resources are better managed and reforms are delivering their intended results.

Independent system wide oversight can contribute by comparing practises, identifying systemic challenges and drawing lessons across organisations.

We must, however, distinguish between implementing a recommendation and achieving lasting change.

Reported implementation does not necessarily mean the underlying problem has been resolved.

Stronger follow up and attention to actual effects are essential for sustainable reform.

These questions are at the heart of our anniversary panel titled From Recommendations to results.

How independent system wide oversight contributes to change.

It will take place as I mentioned earlier, on Wednesday, the 4th of November from 3:30 PM, that is 1530 to 5:00 PM, that is 17 hours in The Tempest Room here at the Palais de Nacion in Geneva with online participation available.

JIU inspectors, Member States Executive Managers and the wide oversight community will discuss how JIU findings have informed reforms, the responsibilities of Member States and organisational leadership for follow up of recommendations, and how recommendations can produce lasting improvements, including in the context of the ongoing UN reform.

Our purpose is not simply to celebrate a milestone, but to consider how independent external system might oversight can strengthen the effectiveness, credibility and accountability of the UN system in the years ahead as well.

Journalists are warmly invited to attend in person or online.

Registration details are available on the JIU website, www.unjiu.org and we would be pleased to facilitate follow up interviews and provide background material to you.

And you will also find a leaflet about the anniversary event right here at the front as well as a brochure about the JIU.

Thank you very much.

[Other language spoken]

And thank you very much, Mika.

And I also like to add that Solange has just sent you out the media advisory about this event, where you can find not only the information about the event that Mika mentioned, but also the link to the web pages and the contact details of the colleagues who can help you either registering or set up interview as you wish.

So let me start with The Associated Press.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you, Mr Tapio for coming to see us.

[Other language spoken]

The 1st is how much have your services at JIU been used for the UN80 review process, particularly with regard to duplication of of staffing and and and management.

And then the second question has to do with the use of AI and recruiting processes.

How often are you advising various UN entities to avoid using AI in terms of the recruitment process, particularly with regard to candidates?

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much for the good questions.

So our approach to the UNAT is that we don't review the reform process real time, but we want to make sure that everything we do, all the reviews, we do have a, a link to the reform, that whatever we do provide some information, evidence for member States and management to, to take action.

Also on the review, just to give a few examples, we're just finalising a report on shared services, which we believe is important, extremely important for the, for the reform process and, and coordination in the UN system.

[Other language spoken]

That report is also coming out in the coming weeks and we are now just about to finalise our programme of work for next year.

And one of the key criteria is that whereas we're not really looking at the specific work packages or the reform packages in itself, but that all the reviews that we do inform the decision makers on various aspects on, on AI used in recruitment.

Without going into any details here, we've just issued perhaps a month ago a report on recruitment in the UN system.

And that does talk about AI as well to the extent that it has been used and, and, and some of the, the risks and challenges in, in that.

So I kindly encourage you to download that report on the, on the JIU website and you'll hopefully have answers for you on that one.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much.

Any other question, Mika GIU in the room or on the platform?

I don't see any other hand up.

[Other language spoken]

Have a very positive and fruitful anniversary and we hope that many journalists will come and cover the event.

Thank you very much.

You have invited them too.

So let me ask now, Dominique to come to the podium, let's move to the humanitarian topic of the day.

Thank you for the Winnie for being with us.

But you want to come here and because you are here to tell us about the situation of the refugees in the season to come and your winter appeal for them.

[Other language spoken]

Good morning, everybody.

Needless to say, you all know that winter is fast approaching and we expect 39 million people across Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria and Lebanon to need additional support to get through the cold months ahead.

I'm here today to ask for solidarity, for support from individuals and the private sector to, as I said, show solidarity with the people that are feeling the bite of winter the most, whether they're refugees or ID PS in, in Ukraine, in Syria, in Lebanon and in Afghanistan.

All of us are feeling it.

The cost of living is increasing.

It's driven by a surge in oil prices and transport prices and food inflation that hits those of us who are lucky enough to have jobs and live in secure environments.

But it has an outsized impact on the most vulnerable people, like refugees, especially during winter.

I'm here today to launch our annual annual winter campaign, aiming to raise $50 million from individuals and the private sector.

A donation means something very tangible.

A heater, blankets, warm clothes, cash to pay for fuel or tarpaulin and tape to repair a blown out window.

For some, it may avoid taking on more debt or keep their children off the streets and safe in school.

A $35 donation can provide a traditional heating device to an Afghan family, and $135 can provide a thermal kit in Ukraine, including a heater and materials to insulate and repair damaged windows.

The clearest way to understand really what is at stake is through the voices of some of the people facing these challenges as winter draws in.

So behind these figure or the figure I mentioned before of 9 million people, there are individuals like Svetlana, like Yousip and Zara and Hiam.

So I'm just going to take a few minutes to tell you their stories and their circumstances are all very different, but the questions each family faces as temperatures fall is essentially the same.

How do we keep our families warm and safe during this winter?

So I'll start with Ukraine.

Ukraine is entering its 5th winter of full scale war.

Escalating strikes by drones and ballistic missiles are impacting civilian lives and keeping them up at night and in bomb shelters.

Any energy blackouts are occurring daily.

And there are still some 5.2 million Ukrainian refugees in Europe and around 4 million internally displaced people in the country.

And across Ukraine, 10.8 million require humanitarian assistance.

This year in Dinipro, my colleagues met Svetlana in her home last winter with her young son Yosef and a this was just after a drone strike had hit their apartment building.

Moments just before the drone hit their building, she grabbed her son Yosef and ran outside and then into the basement.

When they emerged, their world had been completely shattered.

Outside Solana saw pieces of the Lego set her son was playing with, and together with shattered glass they had blown up completely.

The apartment where they've been living just and playing and where he had been playing just minutes earlier.

When she eventually got back inside, she realised the windows had gone and were shattered to pieces and that the drone had been lodged into her living room.

So, so Atlanta remembers thinking what, What is?

[Other language spoken]

And because there was severe cold outside and I was on my own with my child, what, where was I supposed to go?

So that's why winter assistance cannot be separated from protection.

When a missile or a drone destroys someone's window in January, shelter becomes an immediate protection need and a survival issue.

And our ability right now to help is being squeezed at precisely the moment when that help is most needed.

Switching to Afghanistan.

Since September 2023, Afghanistan has received an estimated 6.5 million returns, most of which were involuntary.

Many arrived with very little and needed to rebuild their lives from scratch.

This has put huge strains on a country already wilting under decades of war and insecurity, and those able to meet their basic needs even before winter has completely plummeted.

Zahara is a mother of four.

After her husband died, she spent years moving her children from one accommodation to another unstable house and now to the mountains in Bamiyan.

Last winter she could not afford enough fuel.

What she did is she tried to burn anything she could find.

She would go shop to shop to ask for cardboard, and she used the cardboard to heat her freezing house so that her children could get warm.

What else could she do?

The family fell deeper into debt while Zara struggled simply to put food on the table.

Last year, we were able to help build a home for Zara and her children.

It's one of the 4000 homes that UNHCR has helped to to build before vulnerable families in Afghanistan in 2025.

I'll finish with Syria.

In Syria, the need for a safe home is is much the same as we, as we see for anybody else.

You know the numbers.

An estimated 1.7 million refugees and nearly 1.9 million ID PS have returned to Syria since December 2024, while 15.6 million people inside Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Still, he and her family returned after 13 years living in Lebanon to their home.

When they got to their home in Syria, what they found was a home that was completely burnt down.

It had been looted and it was basically in ruins.

There were no doors, of course, no windows, no electricity, no water.

So for months he, AM and her children lived under plastic sheeting, including through the rain and cold, and UNHCR was able to support the family and help them rebuild.

We helped install doors, windows and a sink, and slowly a ruined building started becoming a home again.

Almost 5000 homes were repaired with UNHCR support in Syria last year, but the scale remains enormous.

Some 2.4 million people are expected to require winter assistance this year in priority areas.

And unfortunately, we expect to reach far less people.

And thus, that's why we're asking for more support for this winter campaign.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much, Dominique.

This is a very dire picture of the situation in all this country, and we really hope you're up here.

We'll be listening to questions to UNHCR.

Robin, thank you.

Are you anticipating that this 5th winter in Ukraine is going to be harder on people needing shelter assistance given the pattern of energy strikes that you described?

And and secondly on Ukraine, the movement of people from Oleshki, is that something that UNHCR is, is involved in or is or is monitoring?

[Other language spoken]

So maybe on the second question, I'll ask Matt to answer and then I'll come back to your first question.

[Other language spoken]

On the the situation, Aleshki, I know that our colleague Jens for much can probably give an update.

But from our perspective, we're also monitoring the situation very closely.

The situation is evolving as we speak and we all know the situation in terms of civilians who are trapped inside that area.

Of course, we UNHCR hope that the ceasefire can bring much needed relief into Aleshki and allow those inside to safely evacuate the area and we're ready to support as needed if and when people are safely evacuated from that area.

Yes, I mean, obviously the situation we're we're four years into a large full skill war.

The, the destruction is, is, is massive and of course has impact for people to be able to sustain another winter.

The attacks on the energy sources also is a is a real concern for the people and the people that we are supporting are often the ones that have been left behind because they're elderly, because they're disabled.

So we do expect this this winter to be harsh and under very challenging conditions.

[Other language spoken]

So let me see if there are more questions on the winter issue before we go to show your hand.

Jamie wanted to just thank you.

I wanted to just ask you about you mentioned Syria and helping people get back into their homes or, or or refurbishing their homes.

The infrastructure is also a major problem beyond just homes in in Syria.

And I'm just wondering how you articulate your work there with whether it be UNDP or various other agencies that are helping to put together, you know, stores and buildings and workplaces and mosques and whatever else they might be doing there.

Do you, do you work with them as well?

And what world would you and HCR have in that?

[Other language spoken]

Very good question.

I was in Syria well last last winter in December and could see exactly what it felt like to be in the cold at that period of the year.

And of course, at this point, it's a whole UN country team effort with the government.

The government is really also stepping up with the private sector now.

And with the shift in sanctions, we will see more help.

We're really trying to shift as AUN team to more development and more support in large infrastructure.

UNDP being a big partner, but also the private sector coming in hopefully to support the, the needs that are there.

The, the needs are massive.

It's the water systems, it's the electricity.

So it's, it's felt at all, all parts of of the country, what we, what we usually say at UNHCR is once people have returned, we usually stay about three years to help.

And the first protection needs a lot of our work beyond the winter support.

And these small repairs that we're doing are are very much with the Cadastras, with the protection system documentation and helping that whole system come back to life.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much for doing this.

You said that this is an annual winter campaign, so could you give us some comparison, please?

How much did you ask for the the winter campaign last year for how many people?

And how much did you actually see last year for the winter campaign?

[Other language spoken]

Thank you for a very good question.

So we have been doing this for a past few years, but what I can tell you is last year we had our best year, if I, if I can say it that way, in terms of income raised, we raised 47.6 million and including from companies, foundations, philanthropies and that was up from 41 million from 20 some million the year before.

So what we're seeing is continuous increase in funding for the winter campaign year on, year out and more and more support from individuals around the world.

John 0 Costas, Francois, Catherine Nilan sit.

[Other language spoken]

I was wondering if you have an update, one of your sister agencies put out a press release about 50,000 people fleeing the renewed civil war in Ethiopia.

Also if Tariko or Yens have an update on what's happening in the country in terms of ID, PS, casualties, etcetera, that would be great.

Thanks very much.

[Other language spoken]

I, I think Matt will be able to give you some updates in a moment.

John, if you if you have patience to wait, you want to add anything or we'll leave it to Matt afterwards.

So any other question to Dominique on the winter issue?

[Other language spoken]

Yeah, Ramin, thank you.

Just just to ask, why does the, the, the funding from this come from private individuals and and companies rather than from state donations?

[Other language spoken]

We also get contributions from governments, but they come in in an earmarked form and they come in directed and we do use government sources.

But what what we find is obviously that we can raise more targeted unirmarked income as well as targeted income from individuals and private sector at this time of the year and that enhances.

But we wouldn't be targeting specifically governments fund our global appeal while for private and individuals it will be much more targeted campaigns.

[Other language spoken]

Let me turn to, to Matt then.

But you you're going to answer the question about the refugees, but before maybe Yemen.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you, Alessandro and good morning, everyone.

I've got a an update on the situation of refugees and asylum seekers within Yemen and also a couple of updates on logistics of providing assistance in that region.

UNHCR is alarmed at the rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis that is facing more than 65,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Yemen as escalating insecurity, economic collapse, depleting resources and severe humanitarian access constraints leave 10s of thousands with nowhere to turn.

Even as the conflict is intensifying, thousands continue to risk dangerous sea crossings from the Horn of Africa to Yemen, arriving in a country where insecurity and humanitarian conditions are rapidly deteriorating.

The situations especially alarming in Harass refugee camp in southwestern governorate of Large, which is home to around 9500 refugees from Somalia and Ethiopia.

This is located in a government controlled area some 10s of kilometres away from the front line.

While no refugee casualties have BeenVerified so far, nearby shelling has disrupted services and LED to movement restrictions for those in the camps, which is heightening fear and desperation among families who have already previously fled conflicts.

Of course, we have managed to distribute food inside the camp in coordination with the local authorities, will be it with some significant difficulties and health assistance and water provision is being continued.

However, many other services have had to be put on hold, schools have been suspended, legal and documentation services have been interrupted, and of course, the rising price of fuel and staples are making it difficult for refugees to cover their basic needs.

Many families are currently leaving Kharas and other areas in the West where humanitarian access is constrained, seeking safety and services in other parts of southern Yemen, including Aden, taking roads used by the fighting parties, which of course puts their lives at further risk.

Amid this backdrop, the number of refugees seeking support from UNHCR to return to their countries of origin has surged.

Since the escalation of the conflict resumed in August, UNHCR has been able to facilitate 3 flights from Aden to Mogadishu, which has enabled the voluntary return home of some 600 Somali refugees.

Over 1100 others have expressed interest in returning, but continuing shelling of airports and intensifying fighting has dramatically increased the risks to refugees and humanitarians, making those returns particularly difficult.

While Yemen has witnessed years of conflict and one of the world's longest running humanitarian emergencies, sea arrivals to the country never in fact stopped during the latest bout of fighting.

During the first nine months of 2026, more than 134,000 asylum seekers and migrants were recorded arriving by sea in Yemen, fleeing conflict, persecution and instability across the Horn of Africa, had to transit through Yemen to other countries, only to arrive in a place where insecurity and uncertainty are defining their lives.

And that number that I gave, 134,000, is a significant increase on a year earlier, some 22%.

The human cost remains devastating and shifting smuggling routes are forcing people into longer and more dangerous journeys to evade maritime security activity.

In October, you may remember that at least 139 people reportedly lost their lives at sea off Djibouti while attempting to reach Yemen.

At the same time, you may also recall that some 4200 people have crossed the sea to Djibouti and Somalia fleeing Yemen since September.

So it's an incredibly complicated map of people moving into and out of the country.

Now, with over 280,000 Yemenis displaced in the past months and 10s of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers struggling to survive, the resources available for them are falling short.

Our appeal for Yemen, for our country operation is only 19% funded at the moment.

And now I'll just switch to the logistical situation in terms of trying to get assistance through that part of the world, which has also been very much complicated in recent months.

Attacks across the Gulf region and disruptions affecting the Babel Mandab Strait, alongside continued volatility around the Strait of Hormuz, are increasing pressure on global humanitarian supply chains that millions of people depend upon.

UNHCR has been able to secure pro bono transport support for some 11 containers of emergency relief items to go from Dubai to Yemen, although shifting security conditions and logistical constraints are challenging those delivery efforts.

Those 11 containers should arrive tomorrow, bringing 3000 relief kits to over 20,000 people in Yemen.

But across the region, it's clear that aid agencies are having to alternate the ports and the transport corridors they use, including now using Hordfaqan, Fujairah, Sohar, Salalah and Jeddah, which adds delays and uncertainty as well as costs to the delivery of humanitarian assistance in that region, but also to Africa as well.

And the impact extends far beyond Yemen.

Congestion at major regional transship shipment hubs is causing delays and backups.

The Bab El Mandab corridor is a critical maritime route linking Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and our operations in Sudan, Djibouti and Ethiopia are among those most exposed to the disruptions affecting trade and shipping in the Red Sea.

Another aspect is that freight rates have spiked.

Between the third and fourth quarters of 2026, average sea freight rates for the key routes into Port Sudan increased by approximately 1/3 for 20 foot containers and 1/4 for 40 foot containers, with some routes experiencing rises of up to 50%.

And of course, everyone is fully aware of the fact that oil prices have surged in the last year or so.

Indeed, since late late late February, oil prices are up on average around 60% and that adds to the cost of providing humanitarian assistance and moving it from the Middle East to those places where it's desperately needed, particularly in Africa.

Where possible, we're continuing to mitigate risks through pre positioning and preparedness by maintaining emergency stocks in all strategically located regional and global hubs and exploring alternative transport routes and modes and working with logistics partners and donors to preserve our operational flexibility.

[Other language spoken]

Let me see if there are questions on this in the room.

Yes, Olivia Reuters, thank you.

Thanks for the briefing.

Just a question on Yemen, the supplies that you are getting in where, where are they going and what is the situation in ties and your ability to get any supplies in there?

And are you seeing any similar difficulties that you're seeing in ties in terms of actually getting into places?

Is access issue growing or is it getting get better in any, in any areas?

[Other language spoken]

As I mentioned in the in the briefing update just now, bringing supplies in is of course become much more challenging and we have been able to do so.

We, we have a consignment arriving tomorrow and that's been that's coming in over land.

And of course where possible that assistance will be accelerated and moved into places where we do have access.

But the situation in terms of access in the country and we've briefed on this with other partners in recent weeks is extremely challenging, particularly around Thais where the majority of displaced people come from.

So when access allows, we do move in that assistance.

But it has been challenging and we've we've been hearing a lot that a number of displaced people have been unable to get to places where we have our supplies and our assistance and in many cases it's been too dangerous for us to get to them.

So of course, we reinforce that call that we've made a number of times for an urgent de escalation and for the sides, the warring parties to allow humanitarians access to all areas of the country.

[Other language spoken]

Any other question on that?

Let me remind you also that we still have 71 UN staff detained, arbitrarily detained by the WITIS and we continue to call for their immediate release.

And of course also the former staff members of the UN as well as the civil society and the diplomatic who are also detained.

Let not forget them.

You had another point that or Yeah, if I can change the subject.

I know John was asking earlier about the situation in Moyal.

This is a town in southern Ethiopia, northern Kenya, which straddles the border.

The situation in that town has in recent days become deeply concerning to us and our humanitarian partners.

The local authorities estimate that some 50,000 Ethiopians have recently fled fighting and have crossed into Kenya via Moyale and surrounding areas.

Many of the new arrivals are being accommodated in host or extended families with hosts and extended families in the town.

But there is a congesting, a crowding in public buildings where people are gathering and we're trying to support them with their basic needs.

The county, the local authorities in the Red Cross have been distributing minimum food rations and hot meals, but they quickly ran out of supplies.

There's also been heavy rain, which has been compromising the relief effort.

And many people are also living in the open with no cover from the rain.

Many of the arrivals of women and children, including small babies and elderly with special nutrition and other needs that are are going unaddressed.

There are also reports of open defecation, lack of water, communicable diseases and mosquito swarms.

Some people are sheltering close to the border and they urgently need relocation for their safety and alternative locations to be found.

With our partners we have developed a refugee response plan which intends to support the local and national response and that is seeking 9 million U.S.

dollars for 50,000 refugees over the next three months and that is being managed alongside our partners at UNICEF, IOM and WFP.

We are all present on the ground and we are kick starting the sectoral responses including around food protection, registration, nutrition, water and shelter.

Thank you very much Matt.

Any further question to you Anita?

I don't see hands up on the platform neither.

So thank you very much.

Thanks Dominique for coming and updating us on these preparations and thing.

But for all these briefing topics, you have given us an update on and maybe I'll ask David to come to the podium.

[Other language spoken]

You have an announcement too on your next report.

Thank you, Alison.

Sorry, John, I, I just saw your hands.

It was that for UNHCR, I guess just yes, my question was also addressed to Tariq and Yens if they have updates on on the fighting in the country in terms of casualties.

[Other language spoken]

So let me let me give the floor to David for his quick update.

John, it's right, you are absolutely.

We forgot your question.

Then I'll ask Jens to come to the podium and maybe Tarik if he's connected to answer you.

But just let's let's have David quickly on on his announcement.

Yes, Alessandra, and with your indulgence, 2 announcements, if I could.

First that on Tuesday, that's the 3rd of November, ITU will release the next edition of its annual Facts and Figures report.

Facts and Figures provides estimates of the number of individuals that are connected to the Internet, and this is in support of ITU's strategic goal to support universal and meaningful connectivity.

Facts and Figures will report on the progress that is being made to bridge the world's digital divides, including those related to age, gender and urban rural living.

The report will also have information on issue issues such as affordability.

We hope to have an embargoed version of the report to share.

We know the window is tight on that, but we are working feverishly to get something to you.

And secondly, just a quick reminder that media accreditation remains open for IT.

US Plant Potentiary Conference 2026, taking place from 9 to 27 November in Doha.

If you have colleagues in the region, please have them contact us for information if you like.

[Other language spoken]

It will host elections approved ITU, strategic and financial plans.

Some have asked us about some of the key dates.

So just a very brief run through on that.

The conference as mentioned will open on 9N with the opening ceremony and opening plenary elections open on Thursday the 12th of January.

That will include elections for the Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General and on Friday the 13 January elections for the directors of IT US 3 bureaus.

On Monday, elections will conclude with the elections for IT, US I2 Council and the Radio Regulations Board with the idea that obviously we can't predict how elections go, so the timing could shift on that.

But those are the intended start dates, full schedules online.

And of course, we can be available to you if you have any questions.

Thank you very much, David, for this announcement.

John, I don't know if this question is for for David.

Otherwise, wait a second.

Let me see if there's any question on ITU and the meeting and the report.

Not in the room.

I see people saying no so yeah, I see that John has put his hand down so it wasn't for you.

David, thank you very much good luck with the meeting and and let's now go back to John.

[Other language spoken]

We've got yes from the podium entirely connected.

[Other language spoken]

Yes, I was, you know, looking for new data on what's happening in the country with the renewed civil war.

We just had Matt talking about 50,000 people fleeing to neighbouring Kenya.

If Yens could bring us up to speed on what is happening on the humanitarian front inside the country and same with Tariq in terms of casualties and supplies going to help the wounded and the displaced.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much.

Let's start with Yens maybe and then we'll hear from Tariq.

[Other language spoken]

First on on casualties, we we are not tracking that.

That would be our human rights colleagues who does that and verifies these numbers and then we report them on their behalf.

But it's not or chair or humanitarians tracking that.

What we've seen is, is of course, concerning with the conflict coming back on.

We all remember a few years ago when it went really South in, in Tigray and we, we hope it doesn't get to that.

Some aid is coming in, but there are a lot of of issues with access.

I do expect to have an update on that later in the day, but that will be something for around 6:00 or 7:00 tonight.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much Tarek, for the bridge.

[Other language spoken]

We also, we don't have numbers on casualties, but I have a report that was sent to us from our colleagues in Ethiopia.

It's it's a week old, but basically it says that security conditions across northern part of the country remain volatile.

Ongoing hostilities, displacement and restrictions affecting humanitarian operations.

When it comes directly to health, Health services continue to operate under significant strain due to unsecurity, limited supplies, staff displacement and disrupted administration Integrate several mobile health and nutrition teams.

Services have been suspended due to insecurity while health services remain constrained in affected areas.

So it's really about Tigray, Mhara and and Afar.

You know, our conflict related disruptions continue to affect health service delivery, disease surveillance, referrals and access to essential health services.

What WHO is doing WHO, Ministry of Health continue to coordinate the health response through the health cluster system.

WHO coordinate the health response through the Incident management system and Health cluster mechanism with 23 staff supporting national operations and 47 W 2 personnel deployed across Tigre, Amhara and Afar.

W2 N partners have successfully delivered 71 metric tonnes of life saving medical supplies including interagency emergency health kits, Cholera kids reproductive health kits and NCD kits.

We also supported the supplies to reach heart to access population in Tigre and medical supplies worth over $80,000 in Afar.

I will send all these notes, John.

Basically, there are these mobile health and nutrition teams that remain a critical lifeline for vulnerable population and they are serving 7 IDP sites in Shira and Tigre, 10 of them operating in FAR and 20, those mobile health and nutrition teams are in in Empire.

I'll send all these details drawn to you.

Thank you very much, Tarek and IANS for these updates.

And maybe to be followed.

Any other question for our colleagues?

[Other language spoken]

The question was raised earlier about Oleshki, so can we go back to that?

[Other language spoken]

Apparently it has begun the process there.

What role, if any, does the UN have and, and what concerns do you have about the conditions in which it's it's taking place?

[Other language spoken]

But it's it's important to stress that no official request for UN support has been received, at least not up till this point.

So we are as as Matt told us earlier, monitoring very closely.

One of those that we monitor, that I monitor is Dimitro Lubinette, who is the Ukrainian parliament commissioner for human rights.

And he just a few hours ago tweeted quite a long updates on the status of, of, of what's going on there.

So we, we are, we are monitoring closely the situation in terms of, of commentary.

You may have seen the emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher tweeted yesterday.

And I can just read it out.

[Other language spoken]

He said each day the ceasefire holds means hope for civilians in Oleshki.

Those wanting to leave must be able to do so safely and voluntarily let this pave the way for vital aid to get in and more humanitarian access on both sides of the frontline.

Absolutely yes, Sorry.

Oh, sorry.

You had the follow up.

You mentioned aid getting in.

I mean, have what aid has there been getting into alleged key, I mean, or you know, by way of the United Nations.

I mean, it's obviously been a pretty difficult situation there, right.

What, what, what, what is your sort of footprint regionally either on the Ukrainian side or the Russian occupied side?

As I said, we have not officially been asked to support this operation.

We are monitoring it closely.

When we read those open sources that that we all have, it does seem that there is is aid lined up.

And of course, as Mr Fletcher says, we hope that aids get into the civilians who need it in the in the town.

What are you there?

[Other language spoken]

What is your view, according to Archer, in terms of whether this complies with the Geneva Conventions, this evacuation of Aleshki?

And secondly, why hasn't the UN been asked for support?

And is that unusual in a scenario like this?

Yes, on, on, on the last bit of of your question, I don't know.

You'll have to, you'll have to ask the Ukrainians primarily because it is their their country that this happens in regardless of who exercises control of, of the place in question, right.

It is the Ukrainian authorities that you'll have to ask why they haven't reached out on this particular one.

[Other language spoken]

Sorry, what was the first part of your question again, is whether you believe that this evacuation is in line with the Geneva Conventions.

You spoke there about voluntary return, for example, being required.

What we do know is that we have advocated and will continue to advocate that it is that that all international rules, laws and practises are upheld during this evacuation.

And it does give some, you know, it does inspire some confidence that it is the human rights commissioners from Ukraine and from the Russian Federation who are kind of seems to be running this operation on the ground.

Thank you very much, Jens.

OK, so no other question.

I'd like to thank you and, and and Tariq for stepping in a couple of announcements on my side very quickly.

A couple of committees, the one on the elimination of discrimination against women is closing it's 93rd session today.

As you may remember, they have been examining the reports of Angola, Capoverde, Cook Island, Kazakhstan, Quina, Paraguay, Republic of Moldova and Togo.

And on Monday we will have the opening of the 80th session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

So that will be that session.

We'll be looking at Austria is Ratini, Mexico and Pakistan regarding their implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

2 International Days for which we've sent you the message of the Secretary General 1 is on the 31st of October, tomorrow it's World Cities Day, but I'd like to call your attention on International Day celebrate commemorated on the 2nd of November, which is the International Day to end impunity for crimes against journalists.

So you are directly related to that.

And the Secretary General, in this message that we have distributed to you, says that the journalists continue to pay an outrageous price for telling the truth, He says he gives the figures over the past year when at least 34 journalists paid the ultimate price for doing their job.

Six of every seven such killings go unpunished, reminds us the secretary general.

And in conflict settings, this rate of impunity goes up as to 100%.

And this scandal must end, you say the Secretary General.

He also said that progress is possible.

We know that since the UN Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity was launched, that was 2012.

If you remember, the impunity rate for these crimes in countries not experiencing armed conflicts has come down from 94% to 7777%.

But obviously, much more needs to be done.

And the Secretary General to conclude on this International Day, we demand justice.

When journalists are targeted and their reporting is extinguished, it makes victim of us all.

And you have the full statement in your mailboxes.

So if there are no other questions for me or for other colleagues connected and I don't see any, I wish you a very, very good weekend and I hope you will enjoy seeing around the new uniforms of our guide, guides that have received this gift yesterday from the Fundatura Pistoletto.

So if you see people dressed up in green bringing around groups is because the Italian donation is on and we have the new uniforms with us, which are really beautiful.

I hope you'll see them around.

Thank you very much.

[Other language spoken]

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 30 October 2026