MIL Video Engine

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Briefing by Indrika Ratwatte is the Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator (OCHA), on the question concerning Haiti.

Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Indrika Ratwatte told the Council that deportations to Haiti – from the United States, Dominican Republic and other countries – “continue at scale.”

Ratwatte said, “in the first eight months of 2026, we have seen almost 200,000 people forcibly returned, a 10 percent increase compared with the same period last year. Many arrive without resources, documentation or support networks, and some have especially urgent protection needs, including survivors of sexual violence, pregnant and lactating women, people with disabilities, and unaccompanied and separated children.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh5ipzW6rIM

Source: United Nations (video statements)

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, today (28 Aug) told the Security Council that the Kenscof massacre, on the night of 23 to 24 August “is deeply shocking but is not an isolated tragedy.”

Ruiz Massieu said this was “another appalling atrocity inflicted upon the Haitian population,” and described the “brutal attack” against the commune in the hills overlooking Port-au-Prince.

He said the assault “claimed the lives of at least 47 persons, including three boys and two girls, left dozens abducted and many others injured, and caused further displaced and suffering,” and added that “homes were also set ablaze and local population seeking refuge from the violence were attacked, including in a church where gang members executed people in the courtyard and killed others as they attempted to escape.”

Ruiz Massieu, who is also the Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), said this was “the latest in a series of attacks affecting the commune of Kenscof since early 2025 and demonstrates the continued capacity and determination of gangs to terrorize the population, expand their influence beyond the capital, and pose a direct challenge to state authority.”

National security institutions, he said, “cannot be left to confront this threat without adequate support,” and noted that the international Gang Suppression Force (GSF) “represents clearly a critical component of the international response authorized by this Council.”

The Special Representative called for a “swift and full deployment” of the GSF, and said, “sustained cooperation and coordination among national authorities and with the GSF will remain essential to address insecurity, protect communities and restore confidence among Haitians.”

He said, “these security efforts must be accompanied by measures to restore state authority, basic services, and economic and social activity in affected communities,” and stressed that “this requires a coherent approach linking security operations with stabilization and recovery, community violence reduction, the reopening of schools and health facilities, and livelihood opportunities.”

Ruiz Massieu also called for “credible pathways for disengagement from gangs, particularly for children and young people recruited and exploited by gangs.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeZemyThmoA

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz is under threat, risking global trade lanes, as attacks on freedom of navigation are destabilizing the Bab el-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden.
The 5th Regional Maritime Law Enforcement Dialogue for the Red Sea area met in Nairobi, Kenya, in a context of increased maritime security concerns.
Organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Dialogue brought together maritime security and law enforcement authorities from Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Yemen to ensure better coordination amongst Member States, as well as better information sharing, in order to enhance maritime security around the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KFKgcZ2S_-w

Source: United Nations (video statements)

UN Resident Coordinator for Colombia María José Torres warned that recent earthquake in Colombia could increase the risk of child recruitment by armed groups in Chocó and Valle del Cauca, where thousands of children remain out of school in areas already affected by conflict.

Addressing the press María José Torres Macho said, “We had an earthquake that historically has been one of the biggest in Colombia, if not the bigger one, affecting 16 departments. I think this is an evolving data that is increasing the number of departments – practically half of the country, kind of 196,000 families affected, and 331 reported dead.”

She also said, “The search and rescue teams were able to rescue 364 people, which I think it is a highlight in this very tragic event. Obviously, we are talking about homes damaged and destroyed buildings, but also livelihoods and health centers, major hospitals in areas that are very vulnerable are currently inoperable, as well as almost 4,000 educational facilities.”

She continued, “We really need to rebuild very quickly, including the ability of children to be back into a protective educational environment, particularly in the areas that we are working in Chocó and Valle del Cauca. There is presence of the illegal armed groups, and recruitment of children in Colombia is a pre-existing issue. We are concerned that the situation of children out of school can exacerbate this situation.”

In Chocó, some rural schools were destroyed, others partially collapsed and several remain at imminent risk of collapse.

Assessments are also continuing in Risaralda and Caldas to determine which schools can reopen safely.

For the UN, restoring access to education is a priority not only to ensure learning can continue, but also to return children to protective environments.

“Those areas most affected are those areas most vulnerable,” she said, adding that the pre-existing conflict is creating challenges for both the emergency response and recovery.

In Chocó, the UN still does not have complete information on the needs of some rural communities, particularly Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities.

Damage to roads, difficulties travelling along some rivers and electricity and connectivity problems are hampering both assessments and the delivery of aid.

Conflict-related displacement is also continuing alongside the earthquake response.

In Sipí, Chocó, around 95 Afro-Colombian people were displaced from the community of Charco Hondo, with concern that displacement could spread to two neighbouring communities.

Torres Macho also highlighted the role of local authorities and Indigenous and Afro-Colombian organisations, which have been among the first responders in some of the most isolated areas.

At the same time, she warned that some municipalities have limited capacity and are overwhelmed by the scale of the emergency.

Since 10 August, the UN system and humanitarian partners have reached around 72,000 people in 36 municipalities across Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Risaralda and Caldas with food, water, medical care, medicines, shelter, psychosocial support, protection and education services.

Following the earthquake, the United Nations updated its humanitarian response plan and estimates that 1.2 million people need assistance.

Within that group, around 127,000 have been identified as among the most severely affected and in need of priority support, Torres Macho said.

The response requires $148.1 million, but only 40 percent of that has been received.

Among the most urgent needs are shelter, medical care, medicines, safe water, education and support to restore livelihoods.

In some places, available supplies are already beginning to run out. In Caldas, for example, food and hygiene distributions have relied in part on donations, but those stocks are being depleted, and there is not enough capacity to sustain the next rounds of assistance.

Problems also persist in temporary shelters. Among those assessed in Chocó, Risaralda, Valle del Cauca and Caldas, 33 percent have sanitation and hygiene needs, 31 percent face problems accessing water and 22 percent need food.

Torres Macho said the response will also need to move quickly towards recovery and reconstruction, particularly in communities that were already vulnerable before the earthquake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHup3GS1cNU

Source: United Nations (video statements)

The 10 August 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Colombia left 331 people dead, 4,449 injured and 219 missing. More than 406,000 people have been affected across 16 departments.

Many of the hardest-hit areas were already facing high levels of poverty, isolation and armed violence.

UN Resident Coordinator in Colombia, María José Torres Macho, told reporters at UN Headquarters that ‘those areas most affected are those areas most vulnerable,’ adding that the pre-existing conflict is creating challenges for both the emergency response and recovery.

Since 10 August, the UN system and humanitarian partners have reached around 72,000 people in 36 municipalities across Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Risaralda and Caldas with food, water, medical care, medicines, shelter, psychosocial support, protection and education services.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/I2_sNb0s7HQ

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:

– Today’s guest
– Monday’s guest
– Asia Floods
– Trip Announcement/Kyrgyzstan
– UN Mission in South Sudan
– Ukraine
– Security Council/Haiti
– Lebanon
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Venezuela Earthquake
– Statement
– UNHCR 65 years of Statelessness Convention
– International Day against Nuclear Tests
– International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances

ASIA FLOODS

As of today, the UN was told by authorities in Nepal that more than 500 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds remain missing. Officials say that scores of people have been injured and over 3,700 have so far been rescued.

The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, said today that humanitarians are moving at speed to save lives, with OCHA and partners from the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF and various NGOs assisting national authorities in Nepal to deliver urgent, life-saving support.

In Nepal, the UN Resident Coordinator, Lila Pieters Yahia, is leading UN support for the Government-led response.

Earlier today, she and UN colleagues visited the Bidur Municipality in Nuwakot, one of the flood-affected districts. She was able to see first-hand the massive destruction, where early assessments show that about 11,000 hectares of land and 45 kilometres of roads have been damaged. That visit was cut short by a new flood alert while the team was on the ground, as there are more risks of floods coming.

In that district, over 1,000 people are sheltering at five known displacement sites, but these are preliminary figures, and the UN is working to confirm the locations of people displaced in other localities and districts.

Despite the damaged roads and landslides that continue to block access, the UN is starting to get a better sense of the immense needs of the population. UN partners working on food security estimate that at least 20,000 households across the Nuwakot and Rasuwa districts may need food assistance.

Over 50,000 people require emergency water, emergency sanitation and emergency hygiene support. Partners working on nutrition estimate that some 17,000 children, 1,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women, and 9,000 adolescents need immediate nutrition support. At least 23 schools in those districts will need to be rehabilitated.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-08-28

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flqF_WOx5Ss