Tom Fletcher visited a WFP-supported bakery in Gaza. Top news of the day | Friday: Gaza, UN budget, Türkiye, IMO, poverty UN
Top news of the day at the UN and in the world: Tom Fletcher in Gaza, Secretary General presented the budget for 2026, implementation of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s decision to dissolve itself, adoption of the Zero Emissions Shipping Framework postponed, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
Humanitarian assistance in Gaza
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher arrived today in the Gaza Strip, in the city of Deir el-Balah. Fletcher visited a bakery supported by the World Food Program and also met with staff from the UN and partner agencies, thanking them for “working under very difficult conditions.” He noted that humanitarian teams are implementing a 60-day plan to scale up life-saving assistance despite enormous challenges. the Organization’s budget for 2026 to the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, responsible for administrative and financial matters. The Secretary General emphasized that the focus remains on the effective implementation of UN mandates: more than 70 percent of the planned quantitative indicators provide for productivity growth of 10 percent or more. The proposed program budget for 2026 is $3.715 billion, which is 15.1 percent less than the approved budget for 2025.
Kurdistan Workers’ Party
The UN Secretary-General continues to monitor the implementation of the decision of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on self-dissolution and disarmament, the press secretary of the UN chief said. According to him, this decision, if implemented, will be another important step towards a peaceful resolution to the protracted conflict. The Secretary-General calls on all parties to act in good faith in implementing the agreements reached.
Emissions from shipping
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced the suspension of the extraordinary session of the Marine environment. The session was expected to adopt amendments to Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, including the IMO Zero Emissions Framework. The session will be resumed after 12 months. This is expected to provide an opportunity for Member States to continue to work towards achieving consensus on the Framework.
Extreme Poverty
Today marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. In his message, the UN Secretary-General called for policies that include fair wages, affordable healthcare and housing, quality education and a comprehensive social safety net. Meanwhile, new data released by the United Nations Development Program and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative demonstrates the close link between the climate crisis and poverty.