Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
United Kingdom
Jane Goodall
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Ukraine
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Central African Republic
Haiti
Myanmar
International Day of Non-Violence
Guest Tomorrow
UNITED KINGDOM
The Secretary-General strongly condemns today’s deadly terrorist attack on a synagogue in Manchester, in the United Kingdom.
Houses of worship are sacred places where people can go to find peace. Targeting a synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, is particularly heinous.
The Secretary-General extends his deepest condolences to the victims and their families and wishes a swift recovery to the injured. He stands in solidarity with the Jewish community and calls for those responsible to be brought to justice.
The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the alarming rise in antisemitism worldwide and stresses the urgent need to confront hatred and intolerance in all their forms.
JANE GOODALL
The Secretary-General said in a social media post yesterday that he was deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Jane Goodall, who had served as a UN Messenger of Peace since 2002.
The Secretary-General said that she has left an extraordinary legacy for humanity and for our planet. He said he is grateful for her lifelong environmental protection efforts and her strong support for the United Nations.
As a UN Messenger of Peace for over two decades, Dr. Goodall’s voice brought global attention to the urgency of protecting our environment. Her legacy will continue to guide and inspire humanity’s collective efforts for peace, sustainability, and harmony with nature.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, said today that as fighting continues in Gaza City, getting aid to the north is difficult. He stressed the need for humanitarians to be able to work unimpeded, noting that many have been forced to suspend their work in the area. Mr. Fletcher stressed that issuing displacement orders does not take away the parties’ obligations under international humanitarian law; many civilians remain in Gaza City and must be protected.
Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that people continue to be displaced from northern Gaza. In the span of just 10 hours yesterday, our colleagues tracking population movements counted 6,700 people fleeing from the north to the south. Since mid-August, more than 417,000 such displacements have been recorded.
But conditions in the south remain unsafe. OCHA has received reports of intense strikes in recent days in parts of Deir al Balah, one of the places where people have been told to move. Tents, houses and even a crowded market have been hit, with the UN Human Rights Office reporting that many of those killed appear to be civilians.
Between Saturday and Tuesday, some 127,000 people arrived in nearly 360 displacement sites that our partners have been able to monitor in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. Altogether, those sites are hosting more than half a million people.
Families in southern Gaza are squeezed into these and other overcrowded shelters or makeshift tents along the coast. Many others are sleeping out in the open, often amid rubble. New arrivals in the south face poor sanitation, no privacy or safety, and a high risk of children being separated from their families – all while being exposed to explosive ordnance.
Our partners also warn of the financial burden of displacement, as families are selling their essential belongings to pay for transport. Those who can’t afford it are forced to walk, which is especially hard for families with mobility challenges.
To support people in the south, the UN and our partners have expanded services. For example, in Khan Younis, UNRWA has recently rehabilitated nine medical points, alongside the Japanese Health Centre and Hamad Health Centre – more than doubling the number of functioning health facilities there. Work also continues to rehabilitate shelters and other medical facilities.
And, of course, the UN and our humanitarian partners continue to operate in the north, to the extent possible. Just today, humanitarians successfully transferred some fuel to that area to power critical facilities that people rely on for their survival.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=02%20October%202025