Destroyed buildings in Gaza. Top news of the day | Thursday: Gaza, Madagascar, Afghanistan/Pakistan, food UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, the Secretary General on the change of government in Madagascar, clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan, World Food Day.
The situation in Gaza
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher, en route from Cairo to Rafah, stressed how important this route is for delivering needed aid to Gaza. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) notes that while the Rafah checkpoint is closed, organizations are forced to make a long detour to deliver goods from Egypt and undergo checks from the Israeli side at the Kerem Shalom checkpoint. Fletcher stressed the need to open all crossings, which he said would allow for more aid to be scaled up and ease the work of humanitarian agencies.
Instability in Madagascar
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the unconstitutional change of government in Madagascar and called for the restoration of constitutional order and the rule of law in the country. The UN chief called on all parties, including youth, to join forces to address the root causes of instability. He reaffirmed the Organization’s readiness to support efforts to achieve this goal and noted the decision of the African Union to immediately suspend Madagascar’s participation in all its bodies and institutions until constitutional order is restored.
Afghanistan and Pakistan
The UN Secretary-General is concerned about reports of armed clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan that have killed and injured civilians. António Guterres welcomes the announcement of a temporary ceasefire and calls on the parties to agree on a lasting cessation of hostilities and engage in dialogue to protect civilians and prevent further casualties. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it had received credible information of more than 30 deaths and hundreds of civilian casualties, including women and children.
Food Day
In its message on the occasion On World Food Day, celebrated on October 16, the UN Secretary-General called for international solidarity to fight hunger and strengthen food security. Despite significant progress made over the past eight decades, 673 million people around the world today go to bed hungry, the UN chief said. Even more people live in conditions of uncertainty about the future due to food shortages. Progress against hunger has slowed, and some regions are experiencing setbacks.