UN Geneva Press Briefing: OCHA, UNHCR, WTO, UN Women, WHO, WFP, UNEP

Very good morning to you all. Thank you for joining us here at the United Nations Office at Geneva today, Friday the 2nd of October. As usual, we have a very important and somewhat packed agenda today. We have announcements from OCHA on allocations of funds, much needed funds, I'd say, to the CERF. We have an announcement from UNHCR as well later on about refugee children out of school. We have announcements from the World Health Organization on global health estimates. And we have a number of important topics, including the situation of women and girls in the Middle East, flow of supplies in Gaza. food insecurity in Yemen, and also an announcement on the global framework of chemicals, a meeting important meeting taking place next month. So without further ado, I'm very, very pleased to have with me on the podium Ms. Goumba Nzvanda, who is the Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, who is going to speak to the impact of the escalation in the Middle East on food security among women and girls. So over to you, ma'am.

Thank you. Thank you.

There we go.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Today, I am presenting the findings of a new UN Women analysis on the impact of the escalation of the Middle East on food security among women and girls in 28 countries. Disruptions to shipping through the Straits of Hormuz are raising energy, fertilizer, and transport costs. They are pushing up food prices and straining humanitarian operations, labor markets, and remittances beyond the region. UN Women estimates that under a moderate scenario, 11.7 million additional women and girls across 28 countries analyzed could become food insecure by end of December 2026. This is on top of an estimated 208 million women and girls across the 28 countries who were food insecure or undernourished prior to the escalation. These are scenario-based estimates and not forecasts. Women and girls are estimated to make up 53% of the projected 22 million additional people affected in the countries analyzed, but in some countries, women and girls are estimated to make up to even a larger share. In Afghanistan, women and girls make up 60% of people who could face food insecurity, and in Yemen, more than 57%. In Sudan, nearly 56%. More populous countries were found to have the largest number of women and girls who could face food insecurity. However, countries such as South Sudan, the Sudan, Haiti, Yemen, and Palestine face more concentrated risks as multiple sources of vulnerability facing women and girls do overlap. In South Sudan, the additional number of women and girls who could face food insecurity represents around 14% of the South Sudanese female population, or about one in seven women and girls, the highest proportion. In Lebanon, the additional number of women and girls who could face food insecurity represents nearly 4% of the Lebanese female population, the second highest proportion. We know from previous crisis that when food becomes scarce, women eat less and women eat last. They often shift their diet to food that is less nutritious or skip meals altogether to prioritize the needs of others. Gender inequalities dictate who has access to food and who has the resources to obtain it. Women and girls who do not have adequate nutritious food to eat, they are at risk of a multitude of health problems, including malnutrition. Higher food prices are one way that disrupts and is worsening food insecurity, pressure on income and livelihoods could make food even much harder to afford. For many women, existing inequalities in employment and access to financial services leave them with fewer resources to absorb these shocks. In Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, Sudan, In Syria, more than 80% of women are outside the labor force. In Afghanistan and in Yemen, this rises to around 95%. Among women who are employed, many are in vulnerable employment. Among women who are employed, they said there is a vulnerability within their employment. This is the case for more than 80% of women in Afghanistan, in Burkina Faso, in Ethiopia, Haiti, Mali. In South Sudan, access to financial services could provide a buffer, but in Iraq and Lebanon, Pakistan and Yemen, fewer than one in five owns a bank or mobile money account without an account. Women may have fewer options to save, to receive remittances or cash assistance, or borrow safely when the prices rise or income falls. This can increase their reliance on informal lenders or relatives or other household members, may put their safety at risk or their protection at risk. We are also seeing these links in countries beyond the 28 covered in this analysis. The recent floods In Nepal, for example, damaged crops, livestock, and agricultural infrastructure, leaving families without food and livelihoods, showing us just how fragile food and economic security is during shocks. The available evidence helps us identify where risks may be more concentrated, but does not consistently tell us the impact on the household level. This is important as this brings me to what needs to happen. First, we need to protect women's access to food and protect the resources they need to withstand and recover from shocks. We can do this by combining food and cash assistance with nutrition, protection, livelihoods and agricultural support and ensuring women can access land, credit, services, and assets. This is particularly significant this year in 2026, the International Year of the Woman Farmer, which recognizes the essential contribution of women across agri-food systems, far too often overlooked. Women farmers need the resources to continue producing food and sustaining their livelihoods. Second, We need to target resources where women and girls face multiple risks, such as conflict, internal displacement, climate vulnerability, humanitarian funding gaps, and structural inequalities. And we need to make sure that support reaches them at the right time, including ahead of the agricultural season. Third, we need to make women and girls' experience visible. in our food security data, in understanding where food insecurity is worsening and who is eating less, who is losing livelihoods, who is taking on more unpaid care work or facing nutrition and protection risks. This is the response, but crucially, to end the suffering of women and girls, we need peace and security. UN Women does not only call for de-escalation in respect of international law. We call for lasting solutions. We call for a secure world. We also echo the call of the Secretary General to all concerned parties to work towards diplomatic solutions that advance regional and international peace and security. I thank you.

Thank you very much, ma'am. And colleagues, just to let you know, you have received the press release and the report here, "Gender Alert: Food Security Risks of the Middle East Escalation for Women and Girls" from UN Women. So there's no embargo on that. That has been shared with you earlier. So let's turn to you for questions that you may have. Yes, Maeva of Kyodo News Agency, Japan.

Thank you very much for taking my question. Good morning. I'm just trying to sort out a bit the numbers. So you mentioned that 22 million additional people could face food insecurity because of the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz. That's in addition to the 208 million women that were already food insecure because of, you know, climate reasons, because of conflicts, et cetera. Could you just precise, like, the 208 million women and girls, like, are suspected to, how food insecure, for which reasons exactly, if you have some examples? And, yeah, just so these 22 additional million are for the straight performance. Thank you very much.

That question on the estimate related to the 22 million. more people who can become food insecure, we really start from the observed gender gap in food insecurity in the region. and from the FAO State of Food Security report. So our analysis is building on what is already an existing gap, and therefore, what is the additional risk that we are looking at. So this is not new risk. This is actually in addition to what is already existing and what the UN through the FAO report has already published. And indeed, we adjust this within the context of of countries. So the issue of context is very important because of each of the 28 countries analyzed, each one of them has particularities that informs the status of their food insecurity. So this is an additional dimension that we are emphasizing in our report and our analysis. Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am. Yes, Reuters.

Thank you, it's Olivia Lepodva from Reuters. Thank you very much for this briefing. Just two questions. First, when you say about women being food insecure, perhaps you could break down in kind of simple terms what that means in terms of like a day-to-day lived reality. Does that mean kind of maybe having to reduce meals in a day, or is it kind of access to the types of nutritious food that we would want them to be? able to have access to, but just a kind of definition of what actually food insecure means would be great. And my second question is, it was really interesting what you're saying about kind of these kind of multiple vulnerabilities. I think you're speaking about Haiti, about Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen. And I'm also conscious that El Nino is also, I guess, another risk factor. I was wondering whether your data captures any of that, or whether maybe that's perhaps a subject to the next report, but whether already you're seeing also some additional concerns rising in certain areas, Sudan, for example, due to El Nino, alongside all the other factors that you're explaining there due to the Strait of Hormuz crisis. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you so much for those two questions. Let me start with the first question on what is meant by food insecure. As an anecdote, growing up during the war in my own country, Zimbabwe, being displaced, I understand what it means in a very practical, real way, in addition to the data that we have from the 28 countries. So first, women are already vulnerable because in many countries, women do not own the land, nor do they own fully the process from the land. So that is already an insecurity that is there. is then exacerbated when they are not able to get the farm inputs, they are not able to get the means of production, and they are therefore not able to produce sufficiently for themselves and their families. And where they have to buy the food, the food prices increase and they cannot afford to buy the food that they need, so quantities reduce. Quality reduces, expectations increases, and women eat less or eat last, or even skip a meal. And their own ability to produce becomes even more fragile, and therefore, the impact is not just on their health and well-being, it also is the impact on including issues of violence against women. issues of gender-based violence because they may have to walk longer distances, more complicated risk ways of getting food. So the insecurity that we are talking about is more than just a nutrition-related food insecurity. It's the total well-being of the woman in her household and the fragility that it brings. The question you raised, the second question that you raised on the nexus, It's very important that vulnerability related to food insecurity is already existing in the countries that we have talked about, especially those which are in conflict or in crisis, like Haiti and others, because it means the women and the girls are not able to even be able to produce, and at times they're in refugee camps or at times they are displaced. So that in itself, the fact that we have insecurity and conflict and its impact on food insecurity is one big issue. That's why our call starts with that which for which the United Nations was established, peace and security. And food insecurity results in human rights violations, the reason why the UN exists. And food insecurity results in undermining development, the reason for which the United Nations exists. So for us, food insecurity and the impact that the crisis we are seeing is actually touching at the heart of the mandate of the United Nations itself and with the people, the women and the girls and their families being the most vulnerable in these situations. Er, Nino, really, we need to roll up our sleeves because with the data that WMO has been providing, FAO has been providing, We need to already, when we have the science and the figures in the anticipation, we need to do mitigation measures much more in advance, but we also know that some communities are already affected, and we also know that some regions. which we may not have been in fully in the 28 countries, would be affected. Let's talk about the Pacific and the Caribbean, who always face hurricanes, typhoons. So if we combine El Nino, insecurity, conflict, this is where we call for a world of peace, a world of investing in women and girls, and the prioritization of the countries at risk. Thank you very much for the question.

Thank you once again. We have another question from Musa Al-Mayadin. Thank you so much. Do you have any further details about the situation in Lebanon, like in which areas women and girls are at risk of food insecurity? And is it also related to the Israeli war or just the situation in Armoz? Thank you.

Thank you so much for that question. UN Women has a strong program in the Arab region with our regional office in Egypt and we have a presence in the program. running in Lebanon. So essentially what we are saying is that the food crisis is exacerbated by the situation in the Straits of Hormuz. But this is a country that is or been fragile because of the conflict that is ongoing that has been ongoing for a time. So we may not have immediate detailed figures now. We will be able to share a little bit more of the precise information around the particularities on Lebanon. But I just want to really reassert and reconfirm that The crisis in Lebanon, the longstanding conflict that is there, has created insecurities, including food insecurity. The displacements that have happened are unacceptable, and we continue to stand with the voice of the Secretary General, calling for peace in the Middle East. calling for resolving the issues with regards to Lebanon. And indeed, now for us today is emphasizing how the closure, the dynamics with the Straits of Hormuz are making the situation worse from where it has been. Thank you very much.

Thank you once again, ma'am. I don't see any further questions online or in the room. So on that note, I'd like to thank you very much. You mentioned among the various calls is raise visibility, and that's why it's supremely important that you're here to actually help raise the visibility and awareness for the plight of women and girls around the world. So thank you very much, ma'am. Thank you very much. Okay, let's just pause for one second. We will allow our guests to leave the room. We're going to stay on the situation in the Middle East, as we just heard about the situation in southern Lebanon, and thank you again, ma'am. Thank you. And we will also stay on the situation of food security throughout this brief. We have online our colleague Matthew Hollingworth, who is joining us from Rome to speak about food insecurity in Yemen. But before we go there, let me just throw to our colleague who you know well. I don't know, Christian, do you want I think maybe I can go ahead and introduce her, and we have Christian online as well. So he's given me the nod, so I'll just introduce somebody you know, Dr. Renee van de Wiet, who is WHO's representative in the OPT, is joining us from Jerusalem, speaking about the flow of supplies and overall situation in Gaza. Thank you very much, Rene, for joining us once again here at our briefing. So over to you.

Thanks again for having me today at this important forum. Indeed, the last time we spoke, I was in Gaza, where, as I mentioned, the situation just remains utterly dire. Today, not one hospital in Gaza is fully functional. There are many reasons for this, but today I wanted to underscore and discuss in more detail the chronic shortages of medicines and medical supplies. Without those items, no hospital will ever be fully or even partially functional. It has now been one year since the ceasefire was announced and three years since the conflict began. But one issue has remained constant throughout. There is not enough humanitarian aid entering Gaza and definitely not enough to allow for a meaningful expansion and restoration of health services. One important bottleneck for medical and other humanitarian supplies to enter Gaza is the approval system. It is laborious, time consuming, and no guaranteed results. Before supplies can even begin moving toward Gaza, they need to be cleared by the Israeli authorities. And this is where a lot of time is lost. Based on WHO's latest analysis, large volumes of medical supplies wait for clearance for a median of 74 days. That is roughly two and a half months to know whether a shipment has been approved. And if a shipment hasn't been approved, then we start that lengthy, cumbersome process all over again with no guarantees for a different outcome. Another issue is that this approval system changes. New requirements get added regularly, often without a clear explanation. We have documented for medical supplies that the number of procedural steps has grown over time. But unfortunately, that has not necessarily resulted in improvements in how smoothly or predictable supplies can enter Gaza scale. Some categories of supplies are hit much more than others. Medicines, for example, they move relatively easily with almost 87% approval. On the other hand, standard health kits, they are the global best practice consisting of prepackaged bundles containing medical items, have the lowest approval rate for WHO and health boards. Medical equipment is another major problem area. Items like X-ray machines, sterilization equipment, spare parts for CT scans, and other essential material get rejected regularly, and often with no explanation given. As we mentioned last time, laboratory and diagnostic equipment is one of our biggest bottlenecks, with 40% of these items currently stuck pending approval. In the last six months alone, one shipment of prosthetics and assistive devices was rejected four separate times. And every rejection means another delay for someone who has already lost a limb and is simply waiting for the chance to walk again. But once the supplies are finally approved, the story isn't over. There are still more steps, more checks, more time before supplies actually reach Gaza. Supplies can sometimes be rejected for entry into Gaza after the initial approval was given. We're talking about medical supplies. Every extra day in storage or in transit brings medicines a day closer to expiring and equipment closer to being damaged before it ever reaches the person who needs it. But what does that actually mean for healthcare workers and patients? Let's make this concrete because we're not just talking about numbers. Without laboratory and diagnostic equipment, the public health experts can't properly diagnose what pathogens and diseases are circulating in Gaza, which means outbreaks can't be caught and contained in time. And as winter begins, this urgency to get supplies into Gaza only deepens. Almost 2 million people are in need of shelter to protect against the cold and the risk of flooding, exposing people to serious health and safety risks, leaving low dignity. Yet the United Nations shelter and winterization supplies continue to face challenges. So what do we and the people of Gaza actually need? Like I said at the start, our ask is simple and has not changed. We need the unimpeded and predictable entry of humanitarian and health supplies into Gaza at scale. We also need a multi-crossing model so that aid isn't forced to trickle down through a limited number of crossings. There is an urgent need for clear, published guidance on processes and supply entry requirements to reduce rejections and delays. And lastly, And perhaps most importantly, we need to change how we measure success. Right now, success is often counted in the number of trucks that crossed, the tons of supplies that were delivered. But that tells you almost nothing about whether people actually get the needs that they deserve. A truck full of non-priority supplies or the right supplies arriving too late doesn't save lives. That's the question that actually matters. Not how much crosses the border, but whether the extraordinary health workers that I meet every time I'm in Gaza, whether they have the supplies when and where needed, and whether patients are getting the medical care they need and deserve. And today, unfortunately, that answer is clearly no. So thanks again for giving me the floor and for keeping Gaza in the news.

Thank, thank you very much, Rene, a very important brief indeed, so let's turn to colleagues for questions, yes, Kyodo.

Good morning, thank you very much for taking my question. Um, I have a few technical questions, so despite the num- numerous restrictions that you mentioned and for sure the delays, did WHO, um, uh, was, uh, did WHO, um, be able to bring something in and if yes, how many trucks were brought in like in the last few months, if you have any indications to give us. Second question, what is the situation regarding the outbreaks? So there were a very large polio vaccination campaign made, so what is the situation regarding polio, but also cholera and other outbreaks? Are you also able to make some diagnostics, even if the diagnostic kits are maybe prohibited or if they have restrictions of access. And do you have any numbers regarding the civilians targeted in the last day, this past, the so-called ceasefire? Thank you very much.

Thank you. Shall I take the questions now?

Yes, please go ahead. Yeah, absolutely, go ahead.

Great. So on the number of civilians killed, we go to UNITAF number, it's still one child a day that got killed in Gaza. On the outbreaks, as I outlined, we don't have the laboratory diagnostics today in Gaza to really understand what pathogens are circulating.

Sorry, Renee, sorry, could you just hold on just one second? We can hear you almost too loudly. We're just going to adjust something in the room. If you can lower the, sorry, Renee, just if you could pick up with the last point. Sorry about that. Go ahead.

No, sorry, I hope that was not me. So in terms of outbreaks, that's indeed why we are extremely concerned because the living conditions being such poor water, hygiene, sanitation, respiratory infections around the corner with the floods and the cold, we today do not have sufficient public health laboratory capabilities to quickly understand what is happening so that we can respond timely. The polio outbreak was contained, but again, many other pathologies like cholera, for which we are extremely nervous about, we just don't know today. In terms of supplies getting in, so indeed some supplies get in, as I mentioned, medicines get in relatively easily, relative perhaps being the important point to make, but then other equipment just notoriously difficult. As I highlighted, the prosthetics over the last six months, that shipment was rejected. four times. So that's why for us we want to call upon changing the metrics. It's not about the trucks that enter. It is about the needs that people have and whether those needs are being met. Thanks.

Thank you very much, Renee. I'm sorry about that small interruption. Absolute message, very clear. Let's see if there are further... Yeah, Olivia, please go ahead again.

Good morning, it's Olivia Lapadva from Reuters. Thank you for the briefing. I just have a question on the yellow line, the so-called yellow line. I'm just wondering from a practical point of view for the WHO's operations on the ground, how is that impacting your operations? I mean, is that making it more difficult to move supplies, but also to send staff members in between hospitals and health facilities? I'm aware, obviously, you've spoken very deeply. about the issues getting stuff in, but actually what about circulating within Gaza in light of the so-called yellow line, which multiple aid groups have been noting is hard to identify and has posed various risks to civilians as well. Thank you.

Yes, thank you for that question. Unfortunately, the security situation in Gaza stays very, very precariously. And indeed, where we pick up the medical supplies, it makes us go through what we call the IDF control part. That means we need to use armored vehicles, we need to use personal protection equipment, we need international staff to go and pick up those supplies. So indeed, getting things in It's difficult, but getting things from the one crossing where we as WHO for the moment pick up medical supplies at Kerem Shalom is a very, very complicated logistical and security process. It needs to be coordinated with the Israeli authorities. There are often delays in getting the green light. Same issues that we also face with the medical evacuations as they get through the crossing of Haifa. So indeed, just the burden on the armed vehicle. on the personal protective equipment, the jackets that we have to wear, and the staffing. It is very intense for the logistical colleagues leaving very early in the morning, coming back late in the evening with the supplies that have been waiting at that specific crossing.

Thank you so very much, Renee. Let's see if there are other questions for you. I don't see that's the case. Just a note to colleagues, Christian just sent you the notes. So do consult those. You should have those in your inbox. Renee, thanks as always for joining us here. And of course, you're welcome back any point in time, and thanks for the great work you're doing as well. Thanks. Thanks again. All the best. Okay, colleagues, we're going to stay in the region. We're moving to Yemen, specifically. Matthew Hollingworth, another familiar I'm sorry. Pardon me. Renee, stay on the line. I think we have a late hand hands coming up. John Zarakos, this is Satoko. John, is this for Dr. van der Werff?

Good morning. It's for Christian, actually.

Yes, sure. And then let me just wait a second. And Satoko, is this for Dr. van der Werff? Yes, thank you very much for doing this.

Go ahead. Yes, you talk about the chronic shortages of medicine and medical supplies and then the changes in the approval system in Gaza. And I wonder if these trends have somehow related to the upcoming election in Israel on October 27. And then are you expecting something more? Of course, it depends on the outcome, but somehow could be some improvement afterward, if you can Give us some of your thought on this. Thank you.

The key problem with the medical supplies is dual use. Israel uses what is called dual use for items that they consider to be used by the military or armed groups and what we call humanitarian. It's not for me. We hope that Israel will at least release the pressure on medical supplies, especially essential medicines. We've been calling for essential medicines and essential medical supplies. that they should not be considered as dual use as they are globally accepted standards on medical items anybody needs anywhere to run a hospital or a clinic.

So thank you so very much for that, Renee. I think I just want to make sure we can release you now. Yes, that's the case. So thanks again very much. Before we go to you, Matthew, if it's okay, we'll just take a quick question for Christian. We'll stay on WHO. So if, John, if you want to pose your question to Christian, go ahead, please.

Good morning, Christian. I was wondering if you have an update on the conflict in Ethiopia. There were reports coming of a lot of civilian casualties and a lot of children. If you have an update from your field office, that would be great. Thank you.

Thank you very much, John. Unfortunately, not. Colleagues are chasing up on this because of the precarious situation, but at this point, not yet an update, sorry.

Okay. Thanks, Christian. Of course, we are following the situation there very closely, and you may want to consult John and colleagues the update from OCHA that we shared last night on the hostilities in the north of Ethiopia, in the Tigray region in particular. So we'll certainly keep you up to date on developments as they come. So thank you, Christian. Thanks, John. Okay, now back to you, Matthew Hollingworth. Thank you very much, Mr. Hollingworth, for joining us again. You've seen him here in person, online, and once again here online, WFP's Assistant Executive Director for Program Operations, joining us from Rome. So over to you to speak about the food insecurity in Yemen. Thank you again.

Thank you, and good morning to all. Hunger in Yemen today is accelerating before our eyes. The effect of this latest flare-up of insecurity on the food security situation threatens to be absolutely devastating. We are scaling up as the World Food Program, but we're doing so with very limited resources and access to areas that we need to get into. And I'm here this morning to tell you about what is beginning as a hunger crisis in Yemen could certainly compound a greater food security crisis far beyond its borders. But let me first start by saying that we can't talk about the World Food Program's operations in Yemen without reminding you all that there are 73 United Nations personnel, including 38 of my own WFP colleagues, detained in Yemen. And so we use this chance, as always, to join the Secretary-General 's call for their immediate and unconditional release. The impact of the escalation of the conflict over the last few weeks on the ability of Yemeni people to put food on the table has been immediate. Our own monitoring in areas of Yemen where we can operate already shows that almost three out of four households are unable to meet their basic food needs today. That's a record number for this year in just a few weeks. And food prices across Yemen are rising sharply. Wheat flour prices increased by 10% in just two weeks in part of ties, while traders have reported very limited wheat flour stocks and disruption to vegetable oil supplies, making it really hard for families just to afford the basics of ingredients. Yemen is exceptionally vulnerable because it imports around 90% of all the food it consumes. And food is consistently among the most urgent needs of the more than 152,000 people who have been displaced only in the last recent weeks, according to our colleagues at IOM. And our colleagues on the ground are seeing families arriving, especially in Lahaj, outside Aden, and around Taiz, a city further to the north, many after walking days without any water or food. Many of these families have had to flee the fighting, and now, sadly, for a second or a third or even a fourth time. And some are surviving largely on bread that they brought with them and a simple soup made from anything they can find, leaves, grass, et cetera. And the influx is also putting really increasing pressure on urban areas and existing displacement sites where people have been sheltering for many years because of the conflict in Yemen. So we are stepping in and stepping up our operations. We've helped more than 70,000 people across two of the biggest displacement hotspots in Tires and Lahaj with hot meals and other life-saving assistance only in the last couple of weeks. And we're ready to scale this further. And as you probably know, we were already helping more than 1.5 million people in the government of Yemen held areas before this latest intensification. So we know we can reach that height of support with the pre-positioned stocks we have. But we are finding increasingly hard to move food into frontline areas. The conflict has already, for example, cut off access to parts of ties. Hadada, which means that WFP and our partners are today prevented from reaching 350,000 people in need who we used to serve. The areas in which we cannot work in under the control of the Houthi de facto authorities are, as you know, under an operational pause mandated by the Secretary-General. But these areas are now increasing in size, and we join the Secretary-General in his call for conditions to be restored for us to be able to operate safely across the entirety of the country, for our staff to be able to operate safely, and indeed all staff currently detained to be released. To face the food security crisis triggered by this latest fighting, our team in Yemen is using resources that we just don't have in abundance. We're having to draw on the stocks that we allocated for our broader Yemen response that was scheduled from November. We're robbing Peter to feed Paul. This means that unless we get new funding, in a few weeks, we will run out of stocks and money to help both the newly displaced people, the 152,000 I mentioned earlier, by the way, 70% of whom are predominantly women and girls, but also the millions of people for whom WFP has been a crucial lifeline over a number of years. And this is happening in a country that was already facing the world, one of the world's greatest humanitarian crises, and certainly one of the world's top four most severely hunger hotspots. If the world doesn't step up soon to help Yemen, the outlook is going to get bleaker. I'm also here this morning to remind you that the consequences of this conflict are stretching beyond Yemen. In some cases, the effect is felt a few dozen nautical miles away across the Bab al-Mandab Strait. So there's at least 3,700 Yemenis, mostly women and children, who have fled this latest intensification to Djibouti's northern shores along the coast near Obok. We're working with the Djiboutian authorities there. We're providing meals twice a day, drinking water, and fortified biscuits to new arrivals. But in other cases, the ripple effect of the Yemen crisis is going to be felt miles and thousands of miles away. The Bab al-Mandab Strait is critical for food, fuel, and commercial goods moving between Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. Instability around this corridor risks driving food prices higher and deepening food insecurity across a much bigger region, the world. This is also because the Yemen crisis is happening at a time when we're already facing pressure on three critical maritime choke points simultaneously. The Treble choke point we've talked about before. The Black Sea is one of the world's most important grain and vegetable oil seed corridors. The Strait of Hormuz is critical for oil and for fertilizer. The Bab-el-Mandeb Strait links trade moving between Asia and Europe through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. When all three of these are under pressure at the same time, you can add to that the impact of a super El Nino weather pattern. These consequences are going to ripple through food systems everywhere, including Europe. They will drive up pricing, and it will limit food availability across the world. And for some people, certainly in the developed world, this will mean that prices at your supermarkets or at the gas or the petrol pumps are going to be quite a lot more expensive than before. But in the world's most vulnerable countries, these price increases or the lack of availability of goods have a devastating effect. It's not just hitting you in the pocket. It can indeed, and may indeed, push millions of people into acute food insecurity. And we've said this before, but let me be clear once again. Today's humanitarian shock and supply chain disruptions can become tomorrow's global food crisis. Thank you very much. I'm looking forward to questions.

Thank you very much. Crystal clear, historic warnings. Thank you so much. And let me just address a couple of things. You talked about the situation. of Yemen in particular, and 70 percent that is among the countries that were that are highlighted in the UN Women analysis, just to point out. And of course, the Secretary General's Special Envoy, Hans Grundberg, continues to be in close contact with the Government of Yemen as well as with the Houthis to urge them to take steps to avert further escalation, as you well know. So let's take questions for you. We have a couple in the room, starting with Kyodo News Agency, Japan.

Thank you very much for taking my question. Good morning. Before the recent escalation, could you indicate, like, more or less on average, how many people you were able to reach, given the current context, and let's think that money is not the problem, but with the security conditions, how many people do you think you could reach if money would not be the problem? And then, just to clarify, how much money are you requesting from donors, and did you already get some, like, positive feedbacks or... like assumptions that you would have the money soon. Thank you very much. Sorry, and for which, sorry, so sorry. And so the donors, if you could name a few countries or institutions. Thank you very much.

Thank you. So prior to this intensification, we were already serving, as I said, almost 1.5 million people, 1.4 in fact. We know we can continue to get to around 1.5 million people if we have the resources to do it. In the past, before this particular intensification, we were planning to serve as many as 1.7 million, but only in government of Yemen controlled areas because there are still, there are massive needs in those areas. Of course, if we could have access to the entirety of the country safely and in line with humanitarian principles, those numbers would be starkly higher because the needs are so much greater across the whole country. But today, when we look at what we need for the immediate emergency, but what we know we also need for the greater numbers who are already in dire need across the country, it's around $250 million for the rest of the year. So it's a very significant ask. But just focusing on this latest intensification and what it means, we urgently need around half of that just to keep our operations running so that we don't hamper our ability to serve people who were impacted before this latest crisis, only to serve those who are impacted because of this latest round of violence.

Yeah, I think also if there are countries that could be named, if possible.

Sure. Look, I mean, we have significant supporters from around the world, from, you know, European nations, you know, from the Nordic countries, from Asia, from Korea, South Korea, from Japan, we have very significant supporters, but we need more, and we certainly need more given the fact that this issue is just getting worse and worse. And we're calling on all of our contributors of the past and, we hope, new contributors for the future because of the just the absolute severity of this problem and the fact that it is just growing day by day.

Thank you so very much. Okay, we'll take a question. Olivia, Reuters.

Thank you, morning, thank you for the briefing. Yeah, just three questions from me. You said you need $250 million for the rest of the year, but you need about half of that just to keep your operations running imminently. How much of that have you had funded so far? And when you say a few weeks, does that mean by like end of this month? Does it mean like by mid-month? Just a bit of a sense of timeline would be helpful. Three out of four households are unable to meet their food needs. You described that as a record number. Is that in just areas that you can access, or have you been able to model that beyond areas you can access in the country? And sorry, just so we can help explain it to the public, when we say unable to meet their food needs, again, what does that mean, like in... reality is that, you know, the number of meals, the quality, yeah, just to get a bit of an explanation of what we mean by that would be great. And sorry, just one final question. Can you remind me of the frontline areas you mentioned that you are now finding increasingly hard to access? Thank you.

Thanks. There's a number of questions there. So in terms of the food security issues, people are finding it hard to put any food on the table, or if they indeed have a table, if they're displaced. They're skipping meals. They are eating a much smaller diversity of food types, and they are facing hunger on a daily basis. So it's a consistent level of hunger, it's not just a one-off. And, you know, you are, we will be seeing, and we're already seeing that having a detrimental effect on people's health and well-being and their ability to be, you know, active and healthy in their life. So you're looking at a hunger crisis that is going to grow as it persists. In terms of, you know, the... numbers of people, it's actually the exact figure is 74% who are facing food insecurity anew because of this crisis. These are people who are coming in as new displacement because of the crisis. But in general, that's what we are, the kinds of numbers that we're seeing. So three quarters are facing that. We don't have accurate information outside of Yemeni government-controlled areas at the moment. We have forecasts and predictive information, but we don't have people on the ground to monitor and assess as we do in the Yemeni government-held areas. And I think I specifically mentioned Taiz and Hodeidah as being areas, well, Hodeidah where we don't have access. But in Tyres is of particular concern for us, given the very significant numbers of people displaced to Tyres and the precariousness of the situation, given the violence in the area.

Sorry, me again. Just how much of the 250 million has been funded so far? What's your gap?

That is the gap. over the, that's the gap over the next six months, but the immediate gap of that, that we really need to fill fast, because to replace pipelines and put food into place, we actually have to be moving on that immediately, is around half that amount.

Okay, thank you so very much, Matthew. Further questions? No, I don't see that's the case. So as always, thank you for joining us here. Very much appreciated. Message is loud and clear. Let's hope it can yield some desperately needed funds, humanitarian relief, and of course, we echo the immediate and unconditional release the call for the immediate and unconditional release of the our colleagues in Yemen. So thank you so very much, Matthew.

Thank you. Thank you. Thanks to all.

Of course. Okay. Jens, if I could ask you to come on up. We have Jens, who has an announcement, and I believe the press release was already sent. And then afterwards, we'll go to UNHCR, and then WHO again, and then our colleague who's in the room from the Global Framework on Chemicals. But Jens, over to you.

Thanks, Rodando. Good morning, everyone. Perhaps a tiny bit of positive news for Yemen in the note that I'm going to read out for you now. Today we announce a large allocation of $160 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund, the UN's emergency mechanism to support lifesaving aid in 12 of the world's most underfunded humanitarian crises. This allocation is part of our wider push to reach 87 million people with humanitarian aid this year. Of the 160 million, 150 million has already been allocated to the 12 countries, and they are in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The top three recipients are Afghanistan, the occupied Palestinian territory, and Yemen, which each gets $18 million. The next two, just to take the top five, are Somalia and Sudan, which will receive $16 million each. Five of the crisis, Afghanistan, occupied Palestinian territory, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen, are among the 10 specific contexts where we know that money alone won't be enough, and we are calling on leaders to open access, remove obstacles, and help us reach people on the line. The last $10 million of this large allocation is to address the needs of people with disabilities in particular, very important. And in this regard, what we call the disability inclusion envelope will also be done, or that work will be done in partnership with the UN Global Disability Fund, which will provide up to $4 million in addition, complementary funding. Just to remind you, the Central Emergency Response Fund is the United Nations Global Emergency Fund managed by my office, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. And with today's allocation of the $160 million, we have a total funding in 2026 from the CERF at 483 million U.S. dollars. Thanks.

Thank you, Jens. Thank you very much for that. It's a bit of good news, but desperately needed, I would say. Colleagues, do you have questions for Jens? No, I think you were very, very clear, so thanks, as always, Jens, for joining us here. All right. Let's move to UNHCR. Yujin is online to speak to a newly published report on refugee children out of school. So, Yujin, please, over to you.

Hi, everyone. I hope you can hear me well. If so, I will start. I really hope that you already received our press release on our latest education report, which is out this morning with the new data on access to education for refugee children and youth around the world. As you can see from our press release and report that there is some progress, but the overall pictures remain very, very concerning. This report is collecting data from 2025. 65% of refugee children were enrolled in a primary school, but this dropped sharply to just 32% at secondary level. And overall, around 5.8 million school-aged refugee children, or you can say 44%, remain out of school still. One particularly increasing finding is in higher education. Refugee tertiary enrollment has reached a record 11% with more than 450,000 refugees now enrolled in higher education. This is the highest number we have ever recorded. That shows what sustained investment can achieve, but the progress is very uneven. When you look into a low-income and conflict-affected country, for example, tertiary enrollment among refugees is still only 2%. And this matters because education for refugees is about much more than being in a classroom. believe and we continue to believe that education gives refugee children protection and first and foremost, but it is also a pathway to opportunity, employment and greater self-reliance. This is particularly important for women and girls because staying in secondary school and having access to higher education can fundamentally change their future opportunities. The concern is that these gains are coming at a time when humanitarian and development financing is under severe pressure, cuts to education now risk reversing years of progress and closing opportunity for an entire generation of refugee children and young people. That's it from our end. If you have any further question, please don't hesitate to contact one of us, and then we will give you more detailed data, which you can also find on our report, which was attached to our press release. Thank you.

Great. Thanks to you, Eugene. Another very important report out today. So I don't think there are any questions for the moment, but of course, they know where to reach you. Thank you again. Before we go to our guests who's joined me on a podium, we're going to go back to Christian, WHO, who's got something to announce, a global health estimates. So over to you, Christian.

Thanks again, Rolando. Yeah, WHO has today or is releasing the latest global health estimates. This morning at 10 o'clock, the latest global health estimates, which provide the latest available data on the causes of death and disease burden worldwide were released. The estimates cover health trends across countries and regions from 2000 to 2023, including trends in life expectancy, mortality and morbidity and burden of disease. The global life expectancy rebounded to 73.3 years in 2023. close to pre-pandemic levels, but healthy life expectancy remains low and remains below the 2019 level. Non-communicable diseases now account for 74% of global deaths, up from 58% in 2000, while dementia deaths have tripled and anxiety and depression-related health loss has risen sharply since the pandemic. Um, in 2023, the 10 leading causes of death accounted for 33 million of the 61 million, uh, deaths worldwide, non-communicable diseases represented eight out of the 10 leading causes. The data is accessible on the website. We will be sending, if we haven't sent already, an update very shortly how to reach these datas. Fact sheets has not yet been posted, but it's being posted as we speak. So everything will be available and together in just a few moments, and we'll send you the links with all the background information shortly.

Thank you so much, Christian. Certainly look out for that update, colleagues. There is a question for you. Hold on. John Zarakos.

Can you hear me now? Sorry.

Yeah, go ahead.

Yes. Yes. Good morning again, Christian. I was wondering on these estimates, can you elaborate a little bit, how much are they projections and extrapolations and how much are based on hard epidemiological data? What's the spread?

So to my knowledge, that's why it goes back to all the way up to 2023. This is existing data, so hard data, which is not always complete, as you know. That's why we don't have 2024, 2025. This data is still being collected because not every country in the world reports in the same way. But this is hard data all the way up to 2023. Where it's not, this is explained in the estimates where a model was used to make up for lacking data.

Okay, I think that's clear. John, is that, nope, okay. Very good. So I think that does it for Christian. So thanks very much as always, Christian. Last but certainly not least, I'm very pleased to have on the podium with me Eduardo Caldera Petit, who is the GFC Fund Coordinator for the Global Framework on Chemicals, who is going to speak to an important event coming up next month for which we've just shared with you a media advisory and a FAQ. So do take a look at your e-mail. But over to you, Eduardo.

Thank you, Rolando, and thank you, everyone, and good morning. From the 16th to the 20th of November, here in Geneva, UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme, will be convening the first international conference of the Global Framework on Chemicals. This conference will bring together governments, but also industry, financial institutions, researchers, international organizations, and civil society. For those less familiar with the Global Framework on Chemicals, this was a framework that was adopted in 2023 in Bonn. It is voluntary and sets five strategic objectives and 28 targets to protect people and the environment from the harm caused by chemicals and waste. And why does this first conference matter? Chemicals are present in all our daily lives. in the food we grow, in the clothes that we wear, and the products we use. How they are produced, used, and disposed of affects the environment, our health, and also workers. Three years after the framework was adopted, this conference will examine what has been done and what needs to happen next. Our commitments translating into action, how we will measure the results, Where do we need to move faster? And who will pay for the changes needed for this transition? The conference will focus on three simple priorities, tracking progress, accelerating action, and investing for impact. For journalists, there are several stories to follow. How will countries demonstrate that they are reducing harm from chemicals and waste? Can safe chemicals give businesses a competitive advantage? How could green and sustainable chemistry change the way the products are made? And how can countries secure the funding to put their commitments into practice? In the margins of the conference, we will also have a high-level dialogue that will bring together senior leaders, including several ministers from governments, CEOs from businesses and others to discuss how to protect health and workers and how to finance and implement the changes in the sectors they represent. So we would like to invite you to join us and put these questions to the people taking those decisions here in Geneva in November. Media registration is now open and will close on the 31st of October. The accredited journalists will have access to the open plenary sessions of the conference and also some selected events. And we will also help arrange interviews with UN leadership and other participants where possible. Some meetings, including the formal negotiations, will be closed to the media. Our media advisory, as mentioned already, and frequently asked questions provide registration details, story ideas, and media contacts. So please get in touch with us ahead of the conference so we can help you identify interview opportunities and prepare the stories that you want to cover. And we, of course, hope to see you all here in this conference in Geneva. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Eduardo. Indeed, do consult the media advisor, which Eduardo just mentioned. It's a very thoughtful FAQs as well, lots of good information. It's taking place at the CIG, if I'm not mistaken. Asuke from UNEP is also in the room here. If you have questions, please do consult either Eduardo or Asuke. I think, John, is that a question for our UNEP colleagues?

Can you hear me there?

I can hear you, yeah.

Oh, yeah, hi. Yes, Eduardo, two questions. How many countries have signed up to this voluntary commitment? And secondly, if you have any background data from UNEP, How many chemicals in, uh, in the marketplace today have had a risk assessment before, before being put on the market? Thank you.

Thank you for the question. Um, in terms of, uh, representation in the global framework on chemicals, because it is a voluntary framework, we do not have, uh, uh, the other MEAs or multilateral environmental agreements, um, conference of the parties where they need to, um, uh, in a formal process to this agreement, this is a voluntary framework, but we have global representation. Also, it is good to know that the framework supersedes another framework that ended in 2023, which was SICA, the Strategic Approach for International Chemicals Management, and that was also well participated and represented framework. So we have focal points in each one of the UN regions. And in addition, most of the governments around the world have been participating in this framework, including as well from least developed countries, small island development states, and countries with economies in transition. So we have a pretty fairly represented framework. In terms of chemicals and risk assessments, we do have, it is estimated by UNEP that over 90% of our products have chemicals in it. And there are many chemicals where information is not yet available or has not been yet researched widely. So that's what we're working on under this framework to identify priorities of concern, issues of concern, how we call it, within the framework and identify what is the international action that is required to address these chemicals. And this is an ongoing process, and that's why in this conference, we will be discussing precisely on the implementation arrangements that are needed to work on these priority issues of concern that need to be addressed.

Well noted. Before we go to Jeremy, I think, John, you had a quick follow-up. Go ahead.

On your last point, can you please clarify how many of the chemicals in, in use today have had a proper risk assessment on possible adverse health effects, if you can give us a ballpark figure and by region if possible, thank you.

Yeah, John, I don't have that information in front of me, so I do not want to give you inaccurate information. So we can definitely follow up with you directly on that as we check internally. Thank you.

Sure, thank you, Eduardo. We'll certainly, we'll share the context with Eduardo Suke, who is here in the room with you, John, and colleagues. Okay, let's first go to Jeremy, then back to you, Mewa. So Jeremy, RFI. We can't hear you, Jeremy. Sorry for that. Perhaps if you want to liaise directly with us, we can give you the contacts, unless you want to quickly log out and log back in. In the meantime, let me take a question from Mavah Kiyodo. Can you hear me? All right. Okay. We can hear you now. Yes, you can. Okay. That housekeeping issue, do we need an extra accreditation to the events or are we allowed to go in? Well, what we'll do for what we usually do, I should say, for the CICG events, we do a fast track registration. So with your UN badge, it's a fast track approach. You can do this very quickly. You just upload a photograph. You have to go into the Indico where you upload your badge. and we'll just make sure you get in easily. No need for a letter of assignments for those of you with permanent accreditation. So the media advisory does spell that out to an extent, but we'll be in addition to the material which we've just shared with you on behalf of our UNEP colleagues, there will be lots more information in terms of interviewees, et cetera, including some of the housekeeping things. We still have some time. But it's important that we wanted to highlight this at this early stage. But we'll certainly keep you abreast of more housekeeping details in the weeks to come. Now back to you, Mewa.

Thank you very much. Good morning. Thank you very much for being present here today. Two questions. You mentioned that the formal negotiations will be closed to the media. So do we have to consider that the high-level dialogue is also, is it open to the media? And second question, I'm just trying to figure out if there is not like an overlap with the Minamata Convention regarding the mercury. So could you just tell us if mercury is part of the chemicals you are looking at and if you see an overlap or like a dialogue with the Minamata Convention. Thank you very much.

Yes, thank you for the questions. In terms of the high-level dialogue, the high-level dialogue will have two segments. There is one segment that is actually open to the public and all participants of the conference. And then we have a closed section segment of the high-level dialogue on the second day. So for the open session, the, as for the plenaries, the media could participate. In terms of the Minamata Convention, so we are, we work, and we are all hosted by UNEP as the Minamata Convention, and we work in close collaboration not only with the Minamata Convention, but also with the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Convention, the BRS conventions as they are known. And there's no overlap in the sense that We do not, in the global framework on chemicals, we do not deal with specific chemicals. We work on a sectoral approach, and that's how we are moving on to address chemicals and waste management, and because the Minamata Convention already regulates the use of mercury, this is outside of the scope of the global framework on chemicals. That doesn't prevent us from cooperating with these conventions, because chemicals and waste management frameworks are comprehensive and would support implementation of specific commitments that countries have with the other chemicals MEAs.

I just forgot to ask you also, are you expecting to issue at the end of the conference, like, a statement or any official document signed by the voluntary states? Sorry, I'm just asking that to see if at the end of the week, we can have, like, a final outcome to publish.

Yes, of course, this is also, uh, there will be, uh, multiple events happening during this week and they open, they high level dialogue, but, uh, this is a negotiation, uh, conference where outcomes are expected, and again, we're expecting outcomes on how we will measure progress, uh, moving forward, so a set of indicators. have been proposed and it will be discussed and that's what we hoped that will be agreed also as part of the conference. Then new issues of concern have been nominated, including four issues of concern that are on discussions if they are going to be now included to be addressed through this framework. And then also we are going to be discussing on how we will have new ways of mobilizing finance to fund and pay for the transition that is needed for a safer chemicals and waste management. So, this will be in the form of resolutions as per similar agreements.

Thank you so very much for that. And colleagues, do take a look again at the material we shared with you, more to come. And therein, there are contact leads and e-mail contact for our media colleagues. Thank you so very much, Eduardo. I can also see that through the questions, lots of interest in this important subject for this meeting, 16 to 20 November. So do mark that in your calendars. Okay, before we wrap, just a couple of announcements. As usual, meetings happening next week. A bit more immediate, we have the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, otherwise referred to as CEDAW, opening its 93rd session this coming Monday, the 5th of October, during which the committee will review a number of state reports from Kazakhstan, Cook Islands, Kenya, Moldova, Paraguay, Togo, Angola, and Cape Verde. So lots of important reviews there. And as you well know, the Human Rights Council continues its 63rd session. Monday they're scheduled to begin voting. I believe well over 30 resolutions tabled to be considered Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. I should mention, colleagues, that we are producing that is the Information Service we will be producing English and French round-up with a complete play-by-play on all the resolutions. So exceptionally, we're able to do that. So that's something which we're happy to provide. A couple press conferences to announce, one from the World Trade Organization, which will hold an embargoed press conference on the Global Trade Outlook and Statistics October Update. This is on Thursday. 00 p.m. here in Geneva. It will feature the Director General of WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and the chief economist, Robert Steiger. Embargoed copies of the report will be available on the WTO online media newsroom beforehand, and there is of course, if you have questions, do contact mediateam@wto.org. Another press conference this coming also on Thursday. 00 a.m., the Universal Postal Union will hold a press conference on the release of the State of the Postal Sector Report for 2026, which provides a glimpse at the cost of disjointed postal import policies and points to concrete solutions to find resilience in this new trade environment. 00 a.m. on Thursday. The report that will be embargoed, I should mention. The report will be lifted the embargo on the report, excuse me, will be lifted at 9:00 a.m. the following day, the 9th of October. This information, along with the name of the speakers, is in the media advisory which we shared with you earlier. And last but certainly not least, today is the 2nd of October, and it is the International Day of Nonviolence. And on this, in his message, the Secretary General Antonio Guterres notes that on this International Day of Nonviolence, we pay tribute to the extraordinary life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, "Throughout his life, Gandhi set an inspiring example of how to create deep, lasting change while holding fast to the principles of peace," the message reads. "He showed that the best way to counter injustice is not to mirror the cruelty and violence of systemic discrimination and oppression, but to employ instead tools of dialogue and nonviolence to build bridges of understanding, deliver dignity, and create lasting change. "In these highly charged times, let's summon the courage, empathy, dignity, and shared humanity that Gandhi exemplified throughout his life," the message reads. We've shared that with you under multiple with in multiple languages. So on that note, unless there are questions for me, I wish you a nice afternoon, nice weekend, and see you here on Tuesday. Thank you.