The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has delivered 1.4 million doses of oral cholera vaccines to the country. Top stories of the day | Monday: Israel, Lebanon, Sudan, water UN
Top stories of the day in the UN and around the world: anniversary of Hamas attack on Israel, attacks on Lebanon’s health system, mass displacement in Sudan, driest year for world rivers in more than three decades.
Anniversary of attacks on Israel
October 7 marks one year since the massive Hamas attack on Israel, which killed more than 1,250 Israelis and foreign nationals, including children and women. More than 250 people were kidnapped. The UN Secretary-General expressed solidarity with the victims and their loved ones. Guterres recalled that over the past year he met with the families of the hostages. During these meetings, he said, he “learned about the lives, hopes and dreams of their loved ones, and shared their suffering and pain.” The UN chief called for continued efforts to find a lasting solution to the conflict so that Israel, Palestine and all other countries in the region can live in peace.
Fighting in Lebanon
Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert has reiterated her call for an immediate ceasefire and space for diplomatic solutions in the region. This was announced by UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric at a briefing for journalists in New York. He also noted that the UN is concerned about attacks on the Lebanese healthcare system. According to local authorities, 36 such incidents have been documented as of October 4, 2024. At least 96 primary health care centers and three hospitals have been forced to close due to the fighting. In addition, 77 health workers have been killed in Lebanon, according to the World Health Organization.
Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan
In the first few days of October alone, tens of thousands of people across Sudan have been forced to flee fighting, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, citing UN agencies on the ground. In particular, 42,000 people have been displaced in the states of North Darfur, West Darfur and Sennar, according to the International Organization for Migration. In addition, as of Saturday, 21,000 cases of cholera have been registered in Sudan over the past two months, according to the WHO and the Sudanese Ministry of Health. Over the weekend, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) delivered 1.4 million doses of oral cholera vaccine to the country.
Water Scarcity
The world’s rivers are on track for the driest year in more than three decades in 2023, a sign that water resources are becoming scarce, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Rivers have seen lower than normal inflows from reservoirs and lower outflows from rivers over the past five years. The State of the World Water report also found that glaciers have suffered their largest mass loss in half a century – more than 600 gigatons of water. 2023 marked the second consecutive year in which ice loss was reported in every glacier-containing region of the world.