Noon briefing of 2 October 2026

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 02 OCTOBER 2026

CENTRAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE FUND
Today, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) released $160 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support life-saving assistance in 12 of the world’s most underfunded humanitarian crises across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

This allocation is part of a wider push to reach 87 million people facing the most severe humanitarian crises this year.

Tom Fletcher, the Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said that today’s new funding will help us get aid to people who might otherwise be left behind. But he stressed that money alone won’t get us there. He called for leaders to exercise political will to open access, to remove obstacles and to help reach people whose lives are on the line.

Of the new allocation, $150 million will support life-saving responses in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cuba, Mali, Niger, the occupied Palestinian territory, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Yemen.

Five of the crises, that includes Afghanistan, the OPT, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen, are among the 10 places where Mr. Fletcher has called for urgent diplomatic action to secure humanitarian access to unlock assistance for 11 million of the 87 million people prioritized for support this year.

The allocation also includes $10 million to address the urgent needs of people with disabilities in the 12 crises and make humanitarian assistance more accessible and to make it also more inclusive.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION - FOOD PRICES
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced that the benchmark index for the world food commodity prices rose in September, driven by higher sugar, cereal and vegetable oil prices.

The FAO Price Index averaged 136 points last month, up from 1.5 per cent in August and 5.8 per cent from just a year ago. Sugar saw the sharpest rise, with 6.1 per cent to its highest level since April 2025, as global supplies are expected to tighten.

Cereal prices were up 5.1 per cent on the month, and wheat reached its highest level since August 2023, largely because of logistical constraints in the Black Sea region. Maize hit a three-year high, as supplies tightened and uncertainty continued over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

ETHIOPIA
The U.N. is concerned by rising tensions among countries in the Horn of Africa at a time when unity, dialogue and cooperation are urgently needed to support peace and stability in the region.

The Secretary-General calls on all States to exercise restraint, refrain from any actions that would further enflame tensions and commit to resolving their differences though dialogue.

ETHIOPIA / HUMANITARIAN
In Ethiopia, U.N partners are continuing to work to secure safe and sustained access for humanitarians to scale-up life-saving assistance wherever conditions permit.

In the Afar Region, partners are mobilizing food, nutrition, health, water, sanitation, hygiene and emergency shelter assistance. A Government-led assessment of nine prioritized districts, released yesterday, identified a number of humanitarian needs among people uprooted by conflict.

In Amhara Region, humanitarian partners will today begin providing food assistance to over 80,000 internally displaced people in in the district of Raya Kobo and the town of Sekota, following improved humanitarian access there.

YEMEN
In Yemen, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that the escalating conflict continues to drive up humanitarian needs and force more people from their homes, including people fleeing across the country’s borders.

The escalation in Taiz is putting additional pressure on relief efforts, it is disrupting the movement of people, it is disrupting the movement of humanitarian supplies and it is limiting access to essential services. The Office of Hans Grundberg, U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen, received deeply troubling reports of casualties, damage to infrastructure, and road closures that are preventing people from leaving the area in their search for safety.

Against these concerning developments, Mr. Grundberg remains in close contact with the Government of Yemen, with Houthis, as he urges them to take steps to urgently contain the situation and ensure freedom of movement for civilians.

The fighting has also forced people to flee across into Djibouti. Since the start of September, the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reports that some 3,800 people have arrived in Djibouti from Yemen, while another 150 managed to make it to Somalia. In Djibouti, UNHCR is supporting the authorities with refugee registration, while the agency and its partners are also working on protection. U.N. agencies and partners are also providing hot meals, water, healthcare and nutrition support.

The U.N. continues to monitor the situation, and OCHA is assessing the humanitarian impact. At the same time, the U.N is working with authorities and partners to respond to life-saving needs wherever they may be.

DR CONGO
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that escalating violence in the province of Ituri is disrupting humanitarian operations, cutting off people from receiving aid and also hampering the fight against Ebola.

At least five humanitarian organizations have suspended or scaled-back operations, limiting access to food, healthcare, nutrition services, cash assistance, water and sanitation.

Some 10,000 people or more are at risk of losing access to urgently needed assistance. Another 50,000 internally displaced people at the Rhoe site are now facing risk if they cannot receive the aid they need.

Violence is also hindering the Ebola response, disrupting community engagement and surveillance, and delaying the transport of lab samples as well as patients.

As of September 30th, the national authorities had reported nearly 8,300 confirmed cases of Ebola and more than 4,000 deaths, with transmission remaining active in several provinces in the DRC.

The U.N. calls for safe, sustained and unhindered humanitarian access, as well as continued international support for Ebola response and life-saving humanitarian operations.

U.N. MISSION IN SOUTH SUDAN / PRESIDENTIAL MEETING
Anita Kiki Gbeho, Special Representative for South Sudan and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) met with President Salva Kiir. During their discussions, they reiterated the need for inclusive dialogue, consensus-building and improved security environment to ensure that elections are conducted peacefully, conducted inclusively and conducted credibly.

HAITI
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that, as a result of this week’s deadly attack in the commune of Gros-Morne, in the Artibonite department, which the U.N. condemns, as a result of these attacks, several local and international humanitarian partners have temporarily suspended activities and staff movements in the area, disrupting the delivery of life-saving assistance.

Nearly 90,000 people in Gros-Morne were expected to receive humanitarian assistance this year, with some 30,000 reached by the end of June. Continued insecurity is now delaying planned assistance for tens of thousands of people.

Once again, the U.N. calls for safe, rapid and unhindered access for humanitarians so they can reach whoever needs it and wherever they may be.

Also on Haiti, in Geneva this morning, Volker Türk, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, called for stronger action to stop the illicit flow of weapons, tackle impunity and reinforce the rule of law in Haiti. He also stressed the need to address the corruption, poverty and inequality that allow gangs to prey on children and vulnerable communities. We need all eyes on Haiti and sustained international support, he said.

UKRAINE
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that another wave of attacks has caused civilian casualties and damage across the country. A dozen civilians were killed and nearly 80 injured, according to local authorities. Homes, energy infrastructure and a bridge in Kyiv were damaged, while power supplies were disrupted in six regions in Ukraine.

Humanitarian partners have mobilized shelter, psychosocial assistance for families affected by the attacks.

Meanwhile, humanitarian access is becoming increasingly difficult in Ukraine. Between July and August, OCHA reports 86 access incidents, including drones and missile attacks, across nine regions as well as in the city of Kyiv. This represents an increase of 26 per cent compared with the period between May and June and is the highest number since monitoring began in March of 2022.

REFUGEE CHILDREN / SCHOOL
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) released a report warning that nearly 6 million refugee children were out of school worldwide in 2025, as deepening funding cuts threaten to shut millions more out of classrooms and reverse years of progress in refugee education. UNHCR’s latest annual education report estimates that 44 per cent of the world’s 13.1 million school-aged refugee children, were out of school last year.

But there was progress in higher education. Refugee tertiary enrolment reached a record 11 per cent in 2025, up from 9 per cent in 2024, with more than 450,000 refugees enrolled for higher education for the first time, that is the highest number to date.

Much more is available online.

SENIOR PERSONNEL APPOINTMENT – ASG DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY AND SECURITY
Today, the Secretary-General is appointing Ramiz Alakbarov of Azerbaijan as Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security, in the Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS). Dr. Alakbarov will assume his functions in January of next year. He succeeds Unaisi Vuniwaqa of Fiji upon the completion of her term in office in December 2026. The Secretary-General expressed his utmost gratitude to Ms. Vuniwaqa for her committed service to the United Nations.

Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov is currently the Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the U.N. in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and he brings with him 30 years of extensive experience in the field of leadership, strategic planning, policy making, development and humanitarian response. He has also served in leadership positions in Ethiopia as well as Afghanistan.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENCE
Today is the International Day of Non-Violence, which also marks the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.

In his message, the Secretary-General says Gandhi showed that the best way to counter injustice is not to mirror the cruelty and violence of oppression, but to use dialogue and non-violence to create lasting change. He calls on us to show the courage, empathy, dignity and shared humanity that Gandhi exemplified throughout his life.

WORLD SPACE WEEK
On Sunday we mark the start of World Space Week, which runs through to 10 October.

Those two dates are the anniversaries of the launch of Sputnik back in 1957, the first human-made satellite, and of the Outer Space Treaty entering into force exactly a decade later.

FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
Saudi Arabia and Uganda paid their dues to the regular budget today. There are now 143 fully paid-up Member States.