Rescuers are helping Jamaicans evacuate. Top news of the day | Thursday: Hurricane Melissa, Ukraine, nuclear tests, Sudan UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: assistance to victims of Hurricane Melissa, a massive strike on several regions of Ukraine, the inadmissibility of nuclear tests, the deterioration of the situation in Sudan.
Aftermath of Hurricane Melissa
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas, as well as in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and parts of Central America. The hurricane caused damage to homes, infrastructure and crops, and medical facilities were heavily damaged. The UN and its partners are providing assistance to the population. The World Food Program (WFP) has launched an operation to deliver humanitarian aid, including food, from a regional logistics center in Barbados.
Strikes on Ukraine
On the night of October 29-30, Russian armed forces again launched a massive a combined strike on several regions of Ukraine. Civilian installations were damaged and emergency power outages were imposed in several regions of the country. This was reported from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. According to preliminary data, at least two civilians were killed and 23 people were injured in Zaporozhye, including six children. Civilian casualties were also recorded in the Kyiv and Vinnytsia regions – a seven-year-old girl was killed and five people were injured.
Nuclear tests
“Nuclear testing should not be allowed under any circumstances.” This was stated by UN Deputy Press Secretary Farhan Haq, commenting at the request of a journalist on Thursday on US President Donald Trump’s statement of his intention to resume nuclear testing for the first time in decades. Haq recalled that the UN Secretary-General has repeatedly stated: nuclear risks are already extremely high, and any actions that could lead to miscalculation or escalation with catastrophic consequences must be excluded. The UN also calls on us not to forget the devastating consequences of more than two thousand nuclear tests conducted over the past 80 years. African Affairs Martha Pobee. She spoke in particular about new outbreaks of violence in the country. After more than 500 days of siege, the city of El Fasher in North Darfur was captured by the Rapid Reaction Force. Only isolated pockets of resistance remained. This event, Poby noted, was a turning point that changed the balance of power in the region. Other parts of the country are also suffering from fighting. There are reports of widespread crime, ethnic violence and violations of international humanitarian law, including sexual violence.