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Source: United Nations (video statements)

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, expresses concern that changes to immunization policy in the United States are not in line with the best available science.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TUWtuf8ulB0

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:

– Colombia
– Middle East
– Yemen
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Libya
– Central African Republic
– Sudan
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– Afghanistan
– International Youth Day
– Financial Contributions

COLOMBIA

Good afternoon, everyone. Starting with Colombia, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and our partners continue to support the Government-led response following the devastating earthquake earlier this week. Latest reports indicate that more than 200 people have been killed and 2,500 people injured. Widespread damage to homes and public infrastructure have also been reported.

Humanitarian assessments are ongoing, particularly in the hardest-hit areas, where disruptions to communications, transport and public services continue to hinder relief efforts. Emergency shelter, food assistance, access to safe drinking water and healthcare for affected communities are among the top priorities. We and our partners are also mobilizing resources. The World Food Programme (WFP) is sending food, while the World Health Organization (WHO) is dispatching medical supplies from their warehouses in the country.

MIDDLE EAST

The Secretary-General is closely following the developments related to the conflict in the Middle East, including the situation in and around the Strait of Hormuz and in the Red Sea. The Secretary-General remains convinced that a comprehensive and durable settlement can only be reached through dialogue and negotiations. Such a settlement would help restore stability and confidence across the region, while also safeguarding the navigational rights and freedoms in and around the Strait of Hormuz and in the Red Sea. The Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Middle East conflict and its consequences, Jean Arnault, remains available to assist the parties and mediators in the search for a durable solution.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-08-12

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqfW33LZaSk

Source: United Nations (video statements)

UN’s top official in Colombia spoke to reporters as a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit the country leaving at least 182 dead and hundreds more injured or missing across the country’s west.

María José Torres Macho, UN Resident Coordinator in Colombia, briefed reporters in New York virtually saying the quake’s epicenter was in Chocó, in the Pacific area, and that its impact was already being felt across a wide swath of the country.

Torres Macho cautioned that the toll was likely to rise as assessments continue. “Everything that I’m reporting right now is going to be evolving as we speak. And we are constantly updating,” she said.

She praised the coordination between national authorities and the UN in the response effort, “this is the first time that I see a Foreign Affairs Minister and Tom Fletcher helping the humanitarian community come together. It was a great manifestation of solidarity and response in a coordinated fashion," she said.

Torres Macho said shelter, health, food security, and protection were the main areas of need, with humanitarian partners already deployed on the ground. “For instance, we have a big presence articulated in two regions, in the Chocó region as well as Valle del Cauca and Cali, with people already responding,” she said.

She said search and rescue remained the immediate priority, alongside efforts to assess the scale of destruction.
Torres Macho added that rural and conflict-affected areas remained a particular concern, as information from remote regions continued to lag behind that from urban centers.

She said funding mechanisms were already being activated to support the response, “Tom Fletcher announced the possibility of mobilizing CERF [Central Emergency Response Fund]. We have been invited by the national authorities to complement the national response; therefore, there is a declaration of catastrophe and a response in a coordinated way. We are also operating through the Regional Humanitarian Fund of OCHA in case there are donations by the private sector, which is already happening, we have been approached by many actors from the private sector who really want to provide support through our mechanism.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5F3GE9VJEw

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Video message by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.

Today, we pay tribute to the victims and survivors of terrorism.

We honour their courage;

Amplify their voices;

And reaffirm our commitment to their dignity and rights.

This year’s theme, “Healing through Memory,” reminds us that remembrance is a
pathway to recovery and renewal.

But how we remember matters.

Victims’ stories must never be exploited or used to sow more hate, including on digital
platforms.

When we commemorate responsibly, we protect victims from further trauma, and counter
the harmful narratives terrorism seeks to spread.

Instead of letting terror divide us, we can and must stay united.

Today and every day, let us stand in solidarity with victims and survivors.

And build a future free from violence and fear.

Thank you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrTAuBk6R9Q