UN Geneva Press Briefing: UNHCR, ITU, WMO, WHO

Good morning. Welcome to the press briefing of the UN Information Service here in Geneva. Thank you very much for your patience. We had the previous press conference finishing late, but we are ready now to start the briefing. So let me start by saying, of course, all the eyes today are on New York, where the General Assembly is 81st. session is starting today. World leaders will gather in New York for a few days to engage in the annual high-level general debate. The theme of this year's general debate is restoring trust, managing transformation, a United Nations that delivers for all. There's a long list of speakers. I have some numbers about the attendance. to the press, to the this session of the General Assembly. We are expecting 71 heads of states, 45 heads of governments, 50 ministers, 11 vice presidents, and one crown prince. So all the list of speakers that change quite often, it's on a live link that we will send to you after the briefing, but you can also find it on the web this morning. After President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President Donald Trump, and King Abdullah of Jordan, we will have a list of presidents. I'm not going to list them all. It's very long. But we will also hear from the Secretary General. And the Secretary General will be in his final general debate. He will address it after 10 years in office. He will focus, we expect him to focus on the question of powers and on peace and security, inequality, climate crisis, and artificial intelligence. So you will have the possibility to follow his address on UN Web TV. And so let's now come to our menu of the day. Let's start with Yemen. I have got with me on the podium, Babar. from UNHCR who has come with Armen Yedgarian, who is the UNHCR representative in Yemen. Babar, you want to start? We go directly to Armen.

Sure. Thank you, Alessandra. Good morning, dears. We wanted to keep the focus. on Yemen, following up what our colleagues were telling us on Friday, just not to lose sight as a new humanitarian crisis is unraveling or emerging in Yemen. Arman Jan is UNHCR's representative in Yemen. He is part of our efforts, has been in the field to establish new sites to receive the internally displaced. Arman Jan, welcome. You have the floor.

Very good morning from Yemen. Yemen Refugee Agency. We represent that. What is that? Continued escalation in Yemen could drive more mass displacement, including numbers of people expected to be...

Sorry, I think we have a technical problem. We can't hear you well. I'm looking at my colleagues. Apparently, it's not on our side. There is like an echo. I don't know if you have a couple or two machines open at the same time on the link.

I don't know. You were checking that before I connected. How do you hear me now?

Let's try again, please.

UNHCR warns that continued escalation in Yemen would drive more mass displacement, with growing numbers of people expected to flee both within Yemen and to Djibouti, Somalia, and other countries. Fighting in Yemen is expanding across multiple front lines, triggering a rapidly growing displacement crisis.

Sir, it's really difficult. There is an echo. We hear you with an echo behind the words. Just one, looking at Babar, if he could read the statement and maybe in the meantime, you could check the technical part on your side so that you can answer the questions afterwards. And maybe Babar, you can read the statement.

Mr. Rangel, is there a way to change the microphone or?

If you proceed, maybe I can connect in five, 10 minutes with that could be an option.

That would be good. And I just wanted to say you're calling in from Aden, so it is a little bit complicated, I guess, the connection. So, Babar, can you read the statements, and then we will go back to Armen. Thank you.

Sure. Thank you, Alessandra. Intensifying fighting in Yemen could drive more mass displacement, with growing numbers of people expected to flee both within Yemen and to Djibouti, Somalia, and other countries. UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, is warning today fighting in Yemen is expanding across multiple front lines, triggering a rapidly growing displacement crisis and driving more than 130,000 people to flee their homes. since the beginning of September. As we have feared and we have been warning, civilians continue to bear the brunt of the conflict, with at least 110 casualties as reported, including 28 lives lost. It is feared that casualty and displacement numbers are likely to grow. deepening humanitarian needs at a time when insecurity and access constraints are already hampering our relief efforts. As we are getting details from our colleagues in Yemen, and our dear Erman is leading those efforts, Thais remains the epicenter of the crisis, accounting for more than 60% of overall displacement, with many families remaining within the government itself, unable to move to safer locations due to fighting, blocked roads, or lack of transportation fuel. Displacement is also being reported from Al-Jawf, Marib, and Al-Hodeidah governorates, reflecting the expanding, multi-front nature of the conflict. Just let not forget that even before the recent escalation, of the conflict in Yemen, more than 5.2 million people were internally displaced inside the country. And the current fighting is deepening already a dire humanitarian crisis. in the country. It is estimated that more than 22 million people require humanitarian assistance, including the internally displaced people. And also, Yemen has been hosting some 65,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from Somalia and Ethiopia. And when we put things in the context, Yemen has a population of around 35 million people. So this is almost in terms of the humanitarian needs and the population, it's almost half of or more than half of the people that need our support and humanitarian assistance. We'll try to reconnect with our dear Erman again on inside Yemen issues. And also, people are becoming refugees, Yemeni civilians who are fleeing clashes across the Gulf of Aden. They have arrived in Djibouti. Yemeni refugees continue to arrive daily. More than 3,000 have so far arrived in Djibouti, where UNHCR is working with authorities and partners to assist the arrivals. Hundreds have landed in Somaliland and Puntland. The number of new refugee arrivals in Djibouti has already surpassed the total number of Yemenis arriving in recent years. UNHCR and partners are planning for more than 10,000 arrivals in Djibouti, with sea conditions expected to improve by mid-October, potentially enabling further crossings. Remember, on Friday, when our colleague joined you from Djibouti, The testimonies that they were getting from the near hours were there were many more expected to cross. They had run out of fuel and many because of the sea conditions mid-October, I think it is because of El Nino effect. If that subsides, we could see more people becoming refugees. Can we go back to Armin and see if...

Sure, we can. Let's see if they've solved the problem. I've been told that maybe one of the possibilities would be to use your laptop mic instead of the other one, but let's see if it works now. Armin.

Once again, very good morning. How is it? My apologies for the inconvenience.

That's better. Please go ahead.

Bob, I already mentioned about the scale of the displacement. Let me continue by saying that the crisis remains the epicenter of the crisis, accounting for more than 60% of overall displacement, with many families remaining within the governorate. itself or unable to move to safer locations due to fighting, blocked roads, or lack of means of transportation and fuel. More displacement is reported from Al-Jawf, Marib, and the Hodeidah governorates too, reflecting the expanding and multi-front nature of the conflict. Most newly displaced families have found refuge in Aden, Lahj, Abyan, other governorates, and even in Marib where the fighting with more than 90% of people arriving in these areas. Conditions for displaced people are increasingly severe as they arrive to already congested displacement sites with urgent needs for shelter, food, clean water, health care, and protection, placing additional pressure on the existing fragile services and infrastructure. Even before this last escalation, more than 5 million people were internally displaced in Yemen. And the current escalation is deepening an already dire humanitarian crisis in the country. An estimated more than 22 million people require humanitarian assistance before the conflict, including internally displaced people and 65,000 refugees of the Somali and Ethiopian Muslim.

I'm so sorry, but it's really very difficult to understand what you're saying. I really told my colleagues, if you could just use the laptop mic, it would just be maybe clearer if it's possible. But Barbara, I can trust that you will send your notes out as soon as we finish, or maybe while we are doing the briefing. And if it's okay, maybe I'll go to the questions and see if... If you just use your computer, your laptop mic, it should be much better. I think it's the big mic that doesn't work. So let me go to the journalist and see. I have got a question from AFP. Agnes.

Yes, hi, thank you. Is it working? Yes, okay, it's a question to Babar about the figures. You mentioned that you expect something like more than 10,000 arrivals in Djibouti by mid-October. I understand that it's including the 3,000 already arrivals. And then I was wondering if you have a figure as well for the IDPs, for the number of IDPs inside Yemen that you are expecting. Do you have a target for maybe mid-October or another date line? And are you doing any financial appeal on that? Thank you.

Thank you very much. In terms of picking up Djibouti first, we are referring to mid-October because that's when the sea conditions are expected to calm down, because many of the 3,000 refugee arrivals from Yemen that have arrived there They have been kind of crossing the sea in rough conditions. So colleagues were saying that once the sea calms down, we could see more arrivals into Djibouti and other neighboring places as well. As far as 10,000 has been referenced and we are using it, it's an estimate. The number could go higher if the fighting further escalates and the conflict intensifies. We hope not, because as being mentioned since a decade or more, the civilians in Yemen have been bearing the brunt of the ongoing conflict. And as colleagues have been telling us, even with the new displacement, They see more vulnerable people coming to displacement sites. That percentage among the 130,000 that we have seen displaced inside the country is around 70%, and the majority of them are women and children. And what the displaced are telling, and these are accounts that Arman has been hearing, Just recently visiting a displacement site just 20 kilometers outside of Aden, the mothers with children are saying this is their fourth time being displaced. This single mother that Arman met was displaced in a place called Al-Mokha and has been kind of going through displacement again and again, fourth time. The only wish... She was saying with the children, they want to go back once the fighting stops, not to the place of their origin, but the place of last displacement. Probably that's what the children know as home. Arminjan, do you know if we have any estimates in terms of how many people could become IDPs if the conflict intensifies?

Displacement continues. Sorry, if the displacement continues with this intensity, I think the number, the estimated number could go over 230,000 people in the next month. If we count also in this very short period of displaced 230,000, certainly the number will go up. People move when frontlines move, when borders move. So there are displacements on both sides of the front line.

So it's 230,000. That's correct.

Okay, thank you.

And just to add, in Djibouti, 10,000 is the number that will need our urgent support and assistance.

Thank you very much. Yeah, Agnes, as a follow-up, just for Armin, I'm told by my colleague in the regie that you should use the laptop mic, but there is another mic open behind you. So that is what makes the echo, just in case your colleagues could take care of this. Agnes, you have a follow-up.

Yes, two follow-ups on the figures. It's still unclear for me if the 3,000 is included in the 10,000 that you expect. And then on this last figure, the 230,000 displacement expected inside Yemen, when is the deadline? Would that be also in mid-October or December, if you could specify that? Thank you.

Sure. Just first on Djibouti, that 10,000 people include the current number of refugees, and the support we need to provide to them is for the next six months. I have some funding figures that I'll share with you. And in terms of more people being displaced inside Yemen, they're being displaced every day. This is what we are hearing. This is a humanitarian estimate in terms of at this pace, what the number would look like, but I'm not sure, Arminjan, do you know when we expect to reach that figure? It's very hard to predict.

For the next three months, you're right. For the next three months, the number crossing the sea to Djibouti, Somalia, and other countries will go over 10,000, given the fact that we have already 3,000 in this place, it's over. They go by sea, and also they might go to the neighboring countries, to Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. Traditionally, people fleeing from Yemen, they go to Djibouti, Somalia, and Ethiopia, and any other countries where they are able to travel out of Yemen. To travel out of Yemen is possible only by sea, by land to the neighboring countries, and possibly by flights to different countries. But the number over 10,000 is for three months.

Thank you. And in terms of the funding, inside Yemen, the response, our response is also constrained by severe funding shortfalls. UNHCR's operation in Yemen is, if I understand correctly, is 18% funded in 2026 with 33 million of the 193 million required is available. So we have 33 million out of 193 million, which is required. An estimated 31 million U.S. dollars when I'm saying this, these are all U.S. dollar figures an estimated 31 million U.S. dollars is urgently needed for UNHCR to assist the 230,000 people over the next three months. to address immediate humanitarian needs in Djibouti. UNHCR and partners are planning for more than 10,000 arrivals in Djibouti, with sea conditions expected to improve, as mentioned, by mid-October, potentially enabling further crossings. UNHCR's Djibouti operation is only 15 percent funded, and UNHCR's humanitarian partners are urgently appealing for an estimated 13.5 million U.S. dollars to ensure that arrivals can access registration, reception, protection and other essential services. Armanjan, the figures I mentioned for Yaman, are they in accordance to what, are they correct?

With a smaller mission that we just estimated the needs in Yemen to address shelter protection, core relief items, and many essential services not being provided by UNHCR, we require $25 million to address this emergency situation now for the next three months. Our planning is for the next month until the end of the year. The needs are increasing, while the funding is not sufficient.

Thank you very much. Emma Farge, Reuters.

Hi, Baba. I know you're muddling through as best you can with sound problems, but would you mind just repeating really clearly the statement on the 230,000? Within what time frame is that? I'd appreciate it. And one clarification, the 130,000 currently, is that including refugees and internally displaced.

Thanks A lot. Thank you, Aman. Apologies for the technical glitches today. First, inside Yemen, so far since this conflict, the new conflict has started, we have seen 100 more than 130,000 people being displaced inside the country. This figure is on top of millions who have already been displaced in the country. The 65,000 is the number of refugees who are already inside the country. So that's the figure of the refugees who are inside the country. And in terms of the 10,000... arrivals in Djibouti. This is the number of new Yemeni refugees who would need our support for the next six months. months. They require immediate assistance. 3,000 refugees have already arrived in Djibouti. Remember, the number of Yemeni refugees in Djibouti was almost the same who had arrived over the years in the country before the new arrivals that have arrived there. Hope this helps.

Thank you very much, Babar. Yes, I'm very sorry for Armin, but we... Yeah, sorry.

And on the funding figures, as you heard the update, so we'll share as soon as the text with all of you, so you have all the updated and correct current numbers reflected in there. Thank you.

Yes, please do that, Babar, so that will give them the exact right suggestion. I must say, and the 2030,000 clear quote, please. I thought you tried it.

I think you did. So 230,000 displaced are estimated for the people who would need our support inside Yemen in the coming three months. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Babar. Okay, so let, thank very much, Armin, even if the connection was difficult, thanks for being here and to try to brief our journalists, and good luck with the next days, they're going to be really difficult, and thanks for your great work. Thank you, Babar. But you have an announcement. The rest of the briefing is basically climate and meteorology. So, yes, I'll keep Babar for his announcement, just one sec.

It's about the figures just now.

Okay, go ahead then.

Sorry, because initially you mentioned that 10,000 by mid-October, then it went to three months and now to six months. So it's really unclear for us. Very, very sorry about that. Thank you.

My apologies again. Mid-October is being referenced when more people could arrive in Djibouti, start arrive. We have 3,000 that have crossed the rough sea crossings, so mid-October is the expectation when the sea calms down, we could see more people to arrive. Six months and 10,000 is the number of people who would need urgent assistance during that period.

I think it's really important you send out the right figures. Thank you very much. Thanks to everyone. So as I was saying, the rest of the briefing is basically on climate and meteorology. But Babar, since you have something to say on climate, before I let you go, can you just give your announcement, and then we will go to IMO, WHO, and even ITU as well?

Sure, sure. Our announcement is related to launch of the first ever global recommendations on nationality and statelessness in the context of climate change. UNHCR and the University of Melbourne's Peter MacMillan Centre on Statelessness will launch at noon today the first ever global recommendations on nationality and statelessness in the context of climate change. As climate change is increasing the risk of people becoming stateless and deepening the vulnerability of millions already without a nationality, the new global recommendations provide practical steps for states to protect the right to nationality and prevent stateless people from being left behind. Thank you.

Thank you very much. And I don't know if there's any specific question on this launch, but I don't see any hands up. So thanks again, Debbar. Thanks again to Armin. And let's now go to WHO, WMO. I'd like to ask the colleagues to come to the podium. Okay, so let me welcome Claire, who has brought with her Armelle Castellan, Extreme Heat Services Technical Advisor in WMO. And on my left, Dr. Teresa Zacaria, Risk Reduction, Humanitarian Operations and Climate Change with WHO. So you start.

I can just do a few words and just go ahead. So obviously, The World Meteorological Organization has been talking a lot about El Nino in this room. We will be carrying on talking about it in the coming months, and it is one of the focal points of all the interventions and the discussions with WMO Secretary General Celeste Saulo, who's at the UN General Assembly in New York this week. We'll be making available on our website an intervention that she made last night on extreme heat and El Nino, and we'll send that out along with the briefing notes. That's all I've got to say, really. So with that, I'll pass you over to Amal Castelan, who's extreme heat services technical advisor at WMO. Thank you.

Thanks, Claire. Thank you. El Nino is strengthening rapidly. and we've just lived through the two hottest months on record. Sea surface temperatures are at record levels. The effect of El Nino are already being felt in climate sensitive sectors, and they will grow. We expect this event to peak towards the end of the year, but the peak is a forecast, not a finish line. The impacts will run well past it. And this is more than just a heat story. WMO's outlook for September through November points to above normal. rainfall in some regions and drought in other regions as well. That puts water security, nutrition, vector-borne disease on the table alongside temperature and heat. These are exactly the risks mapped out in the new WHO Global Public Health Situation Analysis on El Nino, which draws on WMO's forecast to help health authorities anticipate where and when impacts may hit hardest. Our Secretary General, Celeste Saolo, put it plainly last week. We have the forecast. We have the science. The WMO seasonal outlook buys us much needed lead time, and that lead time is what lets us prepare sorry, lets health authorities look ahead and prepare rather than repair. If health practitioners can make informed decisions, this can make the difference between losing lives or saving them. This is why WMO is working with partners to strengthen what we call climate services for health. This means building the needed bridges between health and meteorological communities to ensure that forecast reach health authorities at the right time and in the right format. This is what turns climate action into, excuse me, climate information into action. Every El Nino is different. It influences shift from region and season, and it interacts with other climate drivers as well. However, this El Nino coupled with temperatures that were already record-breaking, is what makes this one unique. As this event peaks in late 2026, much of the southern hemisphere, southern Africa, South America, and Australia will be moving into their hottest seasons in the first months of 2027. Their seasonal heat will land on top of El Nino, raising risk of drought, wildfire, smoke, and the air pollution that follows. El Nino is a global signal, but the impact is always local. Near certainty that this event persists worldwide is not certainty about the impacts in any one district or in any one hospital. That is why the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, your met services, matter so much right now. They hold the most current localized picture of the scale of what is likely to unfold. We can prepare for what is coming in health and in every other sector that is affected by weather and our changing climate. Investing in national met services, reliable observation networks, warning systems, and climate services for health is what will ensure that climate information helps decision makers and health authorities protect every region, city, and community. We have the forecast, and there is still time to act. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Now I go to Dr. Zakaria for more information on the health impacts.

Thank you very much. And first of all, sincere appreciation as well for the collaboration that we've had with WMO, but also many other partners such as MSF in analyzing, qualifying, and quantifying the health risk driven by El Nino. So El Nino is a significant public health threat, not just a climate phenomenon. El Nino can contribute to increased extreme weather conditions and also alter risk for various diseases simply by contributing towards changing weather conditions. It is a risk multiplier, and we expect to see health impacts across the world. However, the most severe impacts will be experienced where climate shocks intersect with weak health systems, limited access to health care, food insecurity, displacement, and humanitarian crisis. Broadly speaking, public health impacts can be grouped into those linked with increased heat, dry or wet conditions. Heat exposure directly impacts the functioning of the human body and can also contribute to death and severe illness by exacerbating cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, metabolic, and mental health conditions. In many parts of the world, heat-related illness linked to wildfire smoke and poor air quality will also be a concern. Droughts and flooding can destroy homes and livelihoods, displacing people and reducing their access to food, clean water, and health care, all recipes for poor health and diseases. They also create conditions that allow diseases to spread. These outbreaks will take hold while poverty, inadequate infrastructures and systems, and often, conflict leave people without health care and critical services. Malnutrition and cholera are among the most serious concerns and are assessed as very high risk in both drought and flood-affected settings. And at the moment, we know that there is already more than 150 million facing acute food insecurity globally. This number is expected to rise as climate-related shocks disrupt food production and livelihoods. Children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding women are especially vulnerable. As we know, malnutrition weakens the body's defenses against infection and increases the risk of severe disease and death. Warmer temperatures and changing rainfall patterns can increase the spread of diseases carried by mosquitoes, such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika, to name a few. In some areas, these diseases may spread into places where they have not traditionally been seen, including higher altitude regions and more temperate climate settings. In WHO's global public health situation analysis, which was jointly developed with our colleagues from WMO, we outlined these health risks across different regions and the actions countries and communities can take to reduce their impact. The key message here is that countries and communities that act now can mitigate these impacts, therefore, avoid loss of lives and suffering. Countries should strengthen health infrastructure resilience, disease surveillance systems, safeguard healthcare provision, and pre-position medical supplies in areas at greater risk. And at WHO and also with our health partners, we are here, we stand ready to provide the support to make all of this happen. So I'm speaking today to remind us that these health impacts of El Nino are predictable. We have a window of opportunity to act now before these risks become crisis. So we call on governments, partners, and communities to invest now prepare to take early actions and to save lives and protect health care. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Dr. Zakaria, and thanks, Mr. Castellan. Let's open now the floor to questions. Agnes, Reuters-- excuse me, AFP.

Yes, a question to WMO. Some experts are saying that the El Nino now could be the most powerful Do you know when you will be able to say that it's the most powerful or it's not the most powerful? Do you know when we will be able to know that? And if you could give us, because you are advertising about the risks, If you could give us some examples of the past where you have been, you have some statistics showing that a powerful El Nino has led to an increase of death or of diseases, specific diseases in a country, in a region, you know, to be able to give some example. Thank you.

Okay, Claire, you want to answer the first one?

I'll take the very first one. I'll leave it to the experts, the second one. So the next WMO El Nino update, which is something that we issue quarterly, and that's the consensus product with the experts around the globe, that will be coming out the end of November. We'll have a press conference then, and by then, you know, we should be seeing more of the impacts. What we said with the most recent El Nino update is that, you know, we expect this El Nino to be very strong. That's actually the top classification that we have. We don't go stronger than that at the moment. El Nino typically peaks towards the end of the year, but the impacts do obviously carry on after that. I think, the jury is still out on this, and I think it depends, and maybe Amel can say more on this, it depends on, you know, how you measure it. You know, we are already seeing the record sea surface temperatures, but that's just, you know, part of the bigger picture. So, you know, we're monitoring it, the entire meteorological UN. health communities monitoring it closely. Typically, as I said, it does peak in strength towards the end of the year, hence its name, the boy child, but the impacts will continue. So I'll pass on to Amal, and then perhaps WHO can talk about the second one.

Yeah, thanks, Claire. The only really thing I can add to that is the fact that there are different institutions, meteorological and otherwise, measuring the caliber, if you will. And even yesterday, there were some quotes about the daily sea surface temperature anomaly in that oceanographic region, 3.4, which is equatorial, just off of Peru and Ecuador. And there are those kinds of measurements, but also we have to remember that this is a big global phenomena that's measured on a rolling three-month average. And so that's what's going to eventually kind of qualify the maximum strength of this particular El Nino. But the real thing to also remember is we will all probably get caught up in these numbers, but it's more than just the numbers associated to this El Nino. It's the fact that it's impacting at the same time as baseline temperatures right across the whole globe that are so high. So it's really kind of a one-two punch, and it's different and therefore unprecedented compared to what happened in 2015, the last time the sea surface temperature anomalies with El Nino were so high. Thank you.

Thank you. So I think the relationship between climate and the spread of disease is well established. Now, what we are also fully aware of is that when there are floods, contaminated water is definitely also a conduit for diseases to spread. But even in drought situation, the bacteria causing cholera, Vibrio cholera, is also more likely to survive. And so, we know that with extreme weather events amplified by El Nino, there will be more diseases, and the problem at the moment is because with, decrease in global solidarity to make sure that health systems are able to respond, we're seeing then these capacities eroded. And so the likelihood of outbreaks and spreading out of control is very high. And we're already seeing dropped in immunization coverage. So what is going to happen when health facilities are then compromised because they have been flooded or because essential supplies are now underwater? or because drought condition is displacing people and therefore removing their access to health care. So we're looking at it from the direct impact of temperature, meteorological events to the human body, the spread of diseases, but also what it would mean for people who have or forced to leave their homes. and health facilities closing, and therefore that access to health care is compromised. And so the range of health risks is really enormous, and it's important that we look at it comprehensively. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Jeremy Long, Charefi.

Yeah, thank you. I'd like you to elaborate on that thing. I know you don't like to do that thing, but could you make a guess, let's say, like, where could we see cholera happen in El Nino conditions? And dengue, for example, I think we all noticed that mosquitoes here in Geneva have become like party poopers. So could we expect dengue to be normal in Switzerland in the coming year? I don't know, like specific examples and countries, if you may. Thank you.

It's a very pertinent question, and I think I could spend hours just elaborating on this. So, whether a disease is going to be established and endemic in a specific area setting will depend on many factors, right? There is obviously the presence of the pathogen, the virus or the bacteria, the vector that drives the transmission, but also the response capacities, because even in dengue endemic areas, for example, with good... public health measures, we can control. We can control the vectors as well that is transmitting the disease. So that's very important. Yes, the likelihood of disease is always there. And I think if we only look at forecasting by utilizing only the pathogen, like the virus or the bacteria as the key component, then it may spread out of control across the world. But the response capacities, that ability to detect early, to put in place preventive measures, to vaccinate whenever vaccines are available. Those are then what will drive whether outbreaks will happen. and diseases will continuously spread or not. So that's really important. And with El Nino actually, and because meteorological data can be, and information can be accessed in advance. That critical window to act now is very important. If you know that an area is prone to cholera, which, I mean, we just had a report of cholera case in even the most developed countries, but because systems are in place, good hygiene is in place, it doesn't spread, right? So that's really key. And if we know that even in low-resource settings, some health facilities are more prone to being underwater because of their localization, low altitude or near riverbanks, there are actually ways to anticipate and prepare early and make sure that services can continue to be provided at a safer, higher ground location. So there are always things that can be done, and this is also where the local intelligence and know-how and knowledge is very important to drive these specific interventions that are quite context very much context-specific. Ms. Yeah, sure, sure.

Thanks, Teresa. I just want to add a small meteorological point to what you were just saying about the timeframes around how these outlooks and these forecasts work. So we've been talking about El Nino now since May and June with very high certainty. And that's really something amazing. And we have to celebrate that and celebrate how much time it gives us around the world to have some of these actions. And on the counter side, there's always going to be-- certainly, we can't rest on our laurels with respect to that forecast. That forecast is true at a global scale, but each of the met services are absolutely going to be refining what's happening in each one of these various countries and locations. And so it's really important to kind of take that El Nino forecast and then refine it with what is happening in your warning services or even some of the sub-seasonal forecast, which is kind of that three to four week where we can now offer so much information about, yes, are we heading into a deeper drought, or are we going to be maybe looking at extreme heat waves, or even some of the rainfall patterns that are sometimes likely with the El Nino global pattern?

Other questions in the room before I go to the platform? OK, so John Zarocostas, Francois van Catte, and The Lancet.

Yes, good morning. I've got a couple of questions. First to Dr. Zakaria. If you can give us a bit of a bird's eye view, how much is being allocated from national health budgets towards mitigation and adaptation of health systems, especially in fragile settings, as you mentioned? And secondly, to Dr. Castelan, what are your projections telling us about Sub-Saharan Africa, in the, I think you mentioned, uh, you expect situation in the early part of 2027, you expect something in, uh, in the, in the coming months in Southern Africa as well. Thank you.

Thank you, John. And as usual, very pertinent and difficult question. I can't really tell how much countries have invested into preparing the health system, health infrastructure for the impacts of El Nino. However, I think your point on fragile conflict-affected settings is really worth highlighting here because we know that currently there's severe underfunding, lack of Support from the global community for people who are living through humanitarian crisis, and as per WHO data, actually, we have... noted that over 8,000 health facilities have had to either reduce health service provision or entirely close down their operations, and this is just from 21 settings with severe humanitarian needs. And so if in the most vulnerable places on earth we're not seeing increase in health services, but rather disruption to these services and further reduction to access to healthcare, I think it's also quite clear to see that A lot of these health risks that we have identified to be driven by El Nino will only amplify in these settings unless drastic measures and support is actually invested now, right now. Thank you.

Yes, thank you for the question. It's a great question because, again, it speaks to how these signals or these trends will transpire. And at this point, we're also dealing not just with El Nino, we've also got the Indian Ocean dipole, which is positive. It doesn't last the same length of time as El Nino. Typically, it's over a week or several weeks to a couple of months as opposed to many months like El Nino. But that's creating a situation where particularly in the Horn of Africa, but even down towards Tanzania, we're seeing the outlooks being issued for higher than normal rainfall patterns. So again, it doesn't give you a specific date with a specific amount of millimeters fallen, but it does give you that sense that, okay, these are the areas, especially when you start to see those teleconnections between different indices, including El Nino, that those patterns are becoming more likely and in some cases have already occurred in parts of Peru that are much closer to El Nino's origins.

If I could just add on that, and it's to pick up on something that was said earlier, the fact that we've predicted this months ahead really does mean that The whole of society has been mobilized. So just to quote one example of the United Republic of Tanzania, the whole government there has been involved right up to the top level. And this is on the basis of what the National Meteorological and Hydrological Service warned back in May or June. And it sort of filters down to community level. Southern Africa, similar Southern Africa, most of Southern Africa tends to get the below average rainfall signal, not all of it. But then again, learning from the experience of previous El Ninos, you've got countries, governments in Southern Africa that are really, really mobilizing big time for this event.

Thank you very much, Claire. the other colleagues, any other question? I don't see any other hand up. So before we conclude on the issue of climate and meteorology, I'd like to give the floor to David, who has an announcement, I think, on ITU WMO seminar.

Thank you. And it makes me happy to hear colleagues from WHO and WMO talking about the power of prediction, prediction that allows us to prepare and also to protect people. And that's very much the nature of the announcement that I have to make, that on next week, from 28 September to 30, of September, that's Monday to Wednesday, ITU and WMO will hold a global seminar on spectrum use for meteorology. This will take place at ITU headquarters. The three-day event will look at how to ensure the continued protection of radio frequencies essential for weather forecasting, climate monitoring, water management, earth observation, and natural hazard early warning systems. These are among other services. The event will bring together policymakers, spectrum regulators, meteorological authorities, satellite experts, and international organizations. As demand for wireless and satellite services continue to accelerate, these experts will examine how spectrum policies and international regulatory decisions can support innovation and the increasing need for meteorological services, the types of services that we're seeing on display here in this briefing. The event will be open on Monday morning when ITU and WMO will officially launch the revised joint ITU-WMO Handbook on Spectrum Use for Meteorology, with ITU Secretary General Doreen Bogdan-Martin and WMO Secretary General Celeste Salo, who will preside over the launch. The seminar is open to reporters. And you can request accreditation, as always, by sending us a note to pressreg@itu.int. Full details are available on the ITU website and, I trust, on the WMO website as well.

Thank you very much, David. And before we close, the issue of events. Before that meeting on the 24th of September in two days, in New York as part of the high-level week, there will be a high-level meeting on sea level rise. It's the 2026 meeting. The UN General Assembly will convene a one-day high-level plenary meeting to strengthen international cooperation and collective action to address sea level rise. The meeting will focus on supporting developing countries, particularly those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as well as coastal communities in building resilience and adapting to the consequences of sea level rise. And as, of course, this starts at 10:00 a.m. in New York time, you'll be able to see it on UN Web TV. It will be broadcast live. Let me just see if there's any other question for all our colleagues. Before I thank them, yeah, Taha.

Do you have any update

-- Can you use the mic, please?

Do you have any update about USG election? As Stephane Dujaric said yesterday, we are all waiting like the Messiah to have more information on that.

No, there has been, as you know, a third straw poll. and we which was not 100 percent conclusive. And of course, this will continue. It's in the hands of member states in New York. As you know, this has to be there has to be a recommendation of the Security Council to the General Assembly for the designation of the Secretary General. And we will anxiously wait, as Stephane put it, for the results of those consultations. Any other question? I have a couple of more announcements. If you want to stay on the podium, it's very, very quick, then we close. I just wanted to remind you. So this morning it has been the press conference of the Special Rapporteur on the violation of human rights in the Russian Federation. 00 p.m., it will be the same kind of update on the human rights situation in Nicaragua. by the UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua following the release of their latest report. And then on Thursday, be reminded that at 2:00 PM, UN Trade and Development will launch the report 2026 on developments in the economy of the occupied Palestinian territory. This is under embargo until the end, basically, of the press conference. 00 p.m. on the same day. And Pedro Manuel Moreno, the UN Trade and Development Acting Secretary General, will join from New York, I believe, remote, while the coordinator of the UNCTAD Assistance to the Palestinian People, Mutassim El-Agra, will be in the press room for you. And very last point, on the 31st session of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, We'll end next Thursday, 24th of September, and on that day at 3:00 p.m., the committee will hold an informal meeting with state parties to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances and will present its concluding observation on the country reports that it was that were reviewed during the session, and this is Armenia, Belize, Gabon, and Lesotho. And that's what I had for you, except I wanted to remind you that tomorrow is International Day of Sign Language, an important day for all of us. We try to strengthen and to be as much inclusive of sign language in all our meetings as we can. So let's celebrate tomorrow this important day. Oh, John, sorry. I don't know for whom is the question, but I give the floor. John Zaracostas again.

Yes, it's for Dr. Zakary. Actually, I'd like to use her expertise to give us some advice. You mentioned earlier about the spread of vector diseases in temperate climates. What's your advice when you've got the tiger mosquito outbreaks in major buildings like the Palais de la Nation? Do it yourself vector control or should it be residual spraying as well? Thank you.

I know this is an interesting question because journalists, as much as us and everybody else, as it was said by Jeremy in Geneva, were subject to attacks of mosquitoes in the Palais. It's really a complicated situation sometimes when you work here. Please.

Thank you. I mean, there are authorities and decision makers who will actually decide on the measures to be put in place in the palace. I think individually, of course, we need to take precautions because those mosquitoes may be flying outside of the palace too. And so obviously, you know, using repellent is always for a good cause too. But on what would be done inside the palace, I wouldn't really want to speak on behalf of the management. But rest assured that the best available measures, guidance on how to implement them are actually available and fully endorsed also by WHO and the Geneva health authorities. Thank you.

Absolutely. And that gives me the opportunity to remind all colleagues the kind of recommendations that we have been sharing. with you on the issue of mosquitoes. Of course, clean offices help. And above all, offices without excess water in plants also help. Inadequate daily waste management, all this can contribute to mosquito proliferation and hygiene issues. I look at the doctor. So the advices that we have been sharing with you is keep windows closed, particularly overnight. To help prevent mosquitoes from entering and proliferating, avoid excess water in plants, ensure plants are properly managed, as standing water can contribute to mosquito proliferation too. I'm sure you will agree with me on this. And ensure waste is emptied and properly sorted on a daily basis. Individual office bins may be removed as part of efforts to improve this waste management and sorting. So that is the recommendation that we have shared with you, but John, thank you very much to ask for the scientific guidelines on this issue that concerns us all. So I'd like to stress the importance of following these guidelines and recommendations. Thank you very much. I don't see any other hand. So thanks to all colleagues who have participated. And we'll see you on Friday. Thank you. Merci beaucoup.