Since the Rapid Support Forces militia – which is fighting the military government – ​​took El Fasher after more than 500 days of siege in late October, nearly 89,000 people have fled Tawila, Melit, Saraf Omra and other locations.

Some families have sought refuge in Tina, near the Sudan-Chad border, where already overwhelmed host communities and U.N. partners are preparing to welcome new arrivals, U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told correspondents in New York.

Meanwhile, violence is escalating in the Kordofan region, leading to increasing numbers of civilian casualties and new waves of displacement.

The UN called for an “immediate cessation of hostilities” as well as the protection of civilians and aid workers, an end to attacks on hospitals and civilian infrastructure and unhindered access to aid.

De-escalation offer

The Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Sudan Ramtane Lamamra invited fighters to begin technical negotiations with the United Nations focused on de-escalation and the protection of civilians, Mr. Haq told reporters.

The envoy held consultations with the African Union, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and others.

The UN is working with partners to secure a ceasefire after two and a half years of brutal war, unhindered humanitarian access and to get the parties to de-escalate the situation, but “so far there has been no real progress to report”, Mr Haq added.

Climate aggravates conflicts

The crisis on the Chad-Sudan border is being further intensified by the impact of climate change, as links grow between conflict and climate emergency, a report says. new report released Monday by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).

As of the middle of this year, 117 million people had been displaced by war, violence and persecution worldwide, while some 250 million have been internally displaced by weather-related disasters over the past decade, the report said.

Sudanese who sought refuge in Chad face a desperate humanitarian situation. Those who recently arrived are receiving less than 10 liters of water per day – well below emergency standards, according to the agency.

Chad and South Sudan, where nearly 1.3 million people have fled Sudan since fighting between rival armies began in April 2023, are among the countries least equipped to deal with the climate emergency.

They called for coordinated global action to end illicit flows that fuel conflict, organized crime and displacement – ​​from Haiti to the Sahel.

Adedeji Ebo, deputy head of disarmament, highlighted that despite recent measures to strengthen arms control frameworks, “more than a billion firearms are in circulation around the world”, fueling conflicts, terrorism and criminal networks in several regions.

“The illicit trade and misuse of small arms and light weapons fuels armed violence, terrorism and organized crime,» he said.

“Weapons diverted from national stockpiles – or at any point in the supply chain – could end up in the hands of non-state armed groups. »

Proliferation of “ghost weapons”

He also highlighted the growing distribution of 3D-printed “ghost guns” without serial numbers, which are increasingly found on illicit markets in Western Europe and Latin America.

The human toll is heavy, he said. In 2024, the UN recorded at least 48,000 conflict-related civilian deaths, with small arms responsible for up to 30% in some contexts.

“These abuses are avoidable,» he stressed, calling for stricter stock controls, tracking systems and respect for arms embargoes.

“A threat without borders”

Roraima Ana Andriani, UN Special Representative to INTERPOL – the international police and crime-fighting organization – has warned that illicit firearms trafficking is now deeply intertwined with cross-border organized crime, as networks use weapons to control territory, protect illicit economies and expand their influence.

“This is a transnational chain of violence that can only be combatted through transnational cooperation,» she said.

INTERPOL’s global iARMS database contains more than two million records of lost, stolen and trafficked weapons, she noted, supporting multinational operations that have seized thousands of firearms and dismantled networks linked to terrorism, trafficking and illegal mining.

But she warned that policing alone is not enough.

“No measure taken in isolation can prevent the circulation of these weapons throughout the world,she said, urging the Council to explicitly integrate INTERPOL’s role into sanctions and arms embargo mandates.

The African region under great pressure

Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the African Union’s top representative for silencing the guns, said the proliferation of small arms is “a cancer” leading to instability across the continent, from the Sahel to the Great Lakes region.

“These weapons are used to free horrific violence and suffering in the Darfur region from Sudan,“, he said, referring to the ongoing situation atrocities reported in El Fasher.

He said small arms control is “a prerequisite for lasting peace” and highlighted AU efforts to harmonize stockpile management and support amnesty and disarmament initiatives.

Africa Amnesty Month and related programs have led to the destruction of tens of thousands of weapons, he said, but the scale of the problem remains vast.

Haiti: Armed gangs control the territory

Arnoux Descardes, executive director of the Haitian civil society organization VDH, described the acute impact of illicit firearms in Haiti, where armed groups control main urban areas and main transport routes.

“Illegal firearms trafficking is a crisis multiplier,”It is estimated that between 270,000 and 500,000 firearms are in circulation in the country, but only about 45,000 are legally registered, he said.

“The proliferation of small arms in Haiti fuels insecurity and paralyzes social and economic life,” he said, calling for stricter border controls and disarmament programs.

Call for sustained and coordinated action

Mr. Ebo concluded by warning that “weapons produced and transferred today risk fueling instability tomorrow.”

He urged the Security Council integrate small arms control into peace operations, peacebuilding strategies and sanctions monitoring.

“Our responsibility is clear,” he said. “We must prevent the diversion and illicit manufacturing of small arms and light weapons, otherwise we will face the consequences of growing insecurity.»

“This is the moment to combine opportunity with urgency,” Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said, calling for a decisive defeat of climate denial and faster action to maintain the 1.5°C target.

As negotiations begin at the two-week annual summit, held this year in a town at the mouth of the Amazon, UN climate chief Simon Stiell urged delegates not to “bicker” but to focus on turning ambition into action.

“Your job here is not to fight against each other – your job here is to fight this climate crisis together,” he said. “This is the growth story of the 21st century – the economic transformation of our time. »

Cautious optimism as pledges rise

A sense of cautious optimism marked the first day of COP30, following the announcement that dozens of new national climate plans – known as the NDC – brought the total to 113 countries now committed to the fight against global warming. Together, they account for almost 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions – a significant step forward in the race to control temperatures.

A preliminary assessment by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which organizes the annual COPs, suggests that these commitments could reduce emissions by 12% by 2035. This is progress, but not yet enough to guarantee the 1.5°C target. The challenge now is to transform promises into action at a pace appropriate to the scale of the crisis.

The emissions curve is starting to bend

In his opening remarksUN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell said commitments and agreements reached by successive COPs were starting to show their impact, with the global emissions curve now starting to bend downward.

He acknowledged that much remains to be done, but stressed that Belém – “home to the mouth of the mighty Amazon River” – can serve as inspiration.

“The Amazon is not a single river, but a vast system supported by more than a thousand tributaries,” he said. “Similarly, the implementation of the results of the COP must be driven by multiple streams of international cooperation. »

No country can go it alone

Mr. Stiell warned that “no national plan can solve this problem alone,” emphasizing that no country can afford the economic shock of climate disasters that reduce GDP by double digits.

“It makes no economic or political sense,” he said, “to stand idly by while catastrophic droughts destroy crops and send food prices skyrocketing.” He called it “unforgivable” that extreme weather conditions continue to claim millions of lives when proven solutions already exist.

Among the main priorities of COP30, the UN climate chief highlighted:

“We cannot exceed the limit of 1.5°C”

In his opening speech, President Lula warned that “climate change is not a threat to the future – it is a tragedy of the present.”

Citing Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean and a tornado in Paraná, the president said this was “the COP of truth,” warning that denial and delay are no longer options. “We are moving in the right direction, but at the wrong speed,” he said. “Crossing 1.5°C is a risk we cannot take. »

He then forcefully called for an end to climate denialism, emphasizing that: “In the age of disinformation, obscurantists reject not only scientific evidence but also the progress of multilateralism. They control algorithms, sow hatred, sow fear and attack institutions, science and universities. It is time to impose a new defeat on the denialists. Without it Paris Agreementthe world is heading towards catastrophic warming of nearly 5°C by the end of the century. »

• André Corrêa do Lago (left) of Brazil and president of COP30, greets President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the opening of the conference in Belém.

A path beyond dependence on fossil fuels

President Lula urged world leaders to adopt ambitious climate commitments and keep adaptation at the heart of national strategies. He called for “a road map for humanity to overcome, in a just and planned way, its dependence on fossil fuels, reverse deforestation and mobilize the resources needed to do so.”

To support this vision, he announced the creation of a new fund intended to support the energy transition in developing countries, financed by revenues from oil exploration.

The Leaders’ Summit, held on November 6 and 7 in Belém, has already mobilized $5.5 billion for the Rainforest Fund Forever – a fund designed to reward nations that protect tropical forests. Other collective commitments include recognizing indigenous land rights, quadrupling sustainable fuel production, and linking climate action to the fight against hunger, poverty, and environmental racism.

Bringing COP30 to the heart of the Amazon was, in Lula’s words, “a difficult but necessary task”, giving the world the opportunity to witness the realities of the most biodiverse biome on the planet, home to more than 50 million people and 400 indigenous groups. “May the serenity of the forest inspire the clarity of thought needed to see what needs to be done,” he said.

‘COP of implementation, adaptation and science’

Meanwhile, André Corrêa do Lago, President of COP30, presided over the official opening of the summit following a musical performance performed by members of the Guajajara indigenous people.

He urged delegates to make it the “COP for climate policy implementation, adaptation and economic integration – and above all, the COP that listens and believes in science.”

He concluded by recognizing the crucial role of indigenous peoples as guardians of the Amazon, the region now at the center of global attention.

At Second World Summit for Social Development In Doha, our team tested a quick, understandable format designed to bring readers closer to the action – to what is actually being said, decided and debated in real time.

Working side-by-side with the UN Meetings Coverage Section – the press officers who follow every statement and development in the international debate – we distilled hours of discussions into precise end-of-day snapshots.

Each update details the position of the countries, their agreements (or not) and what’s next.

Over three jam-packed days of high-level plenaries and panel discussions, delegates celebrated 30 years of the historic 1995 Copenhagen Summit, reflecting on how far social development has come – and how far it still has to go.

Poverty reduction, decent jobs, social protection and inclusion were at the top of the agenda, along with how climate impacts and rising debt are reshaping policy priorities around the world.

What you will find in the summaries:

• The main messages and priorities of the governments of the different regions
• Emerging areas of consensus – and tension
• How global pressures are changing the social policy landscape

This pilot project is part of our efforts to make UN decision-making clearer, faster and closer to the people affected.

Read the full daily recaps:

Day 1: Doha: World Summit opens with commitment to accelerate social progress

Day 2: Doha: Second day of World Summit highlights urgency to invest in people and peace

Day 3: Doha: World Summit ends with renewed commitment to leave no one behind

Between Friday and Monday morning, at least 15 civilians were killed and more than 70 injured, according to OCHA.

On Saturday evening, missile and drone attacks hit 10 regions: Chernihiv, Dnipro, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Odessa, Poltava and Sumy.

Matthias Schmale, the country’s humanitarian coordinator, sentenced attacks, asserting that “civilians and civilian objects are fully protected by international humanitarian law and are not a target.”

Power outages in major cities

The attacks also disrupted electricity, heating and water supplies, making it even more difficult for vulnerable people to cope with cold winter temperatures.

Energy and residential infrastructure have been damaged in many regions, including Chernihiv, Odessa and Poltava, while major cities like Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa are experiencing power outages, with electricity only available for a few hours a day.

The UN and its partners quickly mobilized to provide emergency shelter materials, blankets, hygiene items, hot drinks and psychosocial support in several areas. OCHA said.

Philippines: Typhoon Fung-Wong displaces hundreds of thousands of people

The UN is proof Government-led efforts in the Philippines after super typhoon Fung-Wong – known locally as Uwan – hit northern Luzon on Sunday, triggering mass evacuations and widespread disruptions.

According to the aid coordination office, OCHA, more than 1.3 million people were evacuated in 13 of the country’s 18 regions before the storm made landfall, in one of the largest preventive operations ever carried out in the Philippines.

More than 480,000 people remain displaced and have taken shelter in some 6,000 evacuation centers.

The government is leading the emergency response, with support from UN agencies and partners.

Early warnings that save lives

Cash aid has already been distributed, while food, tents, hygiene kits and other supplies have been pre-positioned in advance.

The World Food Program (PAM) said its teams were on standby and assessing needs in affected areas, with ready-to-eat meals and rice stocks prepared for distribution in coordination with national authorities.

Arnaud Peral, resident and UN humanitarian coordinator, praised the Philippines’ rapid evacuations and early warning systems, saying they had “undoubtedly saved lives”.

OCHA has warned that more intense typhoons like Fung-Wong are likely as climate change warms regional seas, highlighting the need for better preparation.

Demographic changes are reshaping Europe and Central Asia

Europe is aging while parts of Central Asia are seeing a surge in the number of young people – a demographic divide that could transform the region’s economies and societies, a study suggests. new UN report.

Analysis warns that Europe’s shrinking and aging workforce and low birth rates are putting pressure on health systems, pensions and labor markets, while Central Asia’s growing youth population offers both opportunities and challenges if decent employment and education can keep pace.

The employment challenge

Experts say countries need to rethink how they prepare for the future – by expanding access to quality jobs; encouraging women, migrants and older people to participate in the labor market and investing in lifelong learning and social protection.

The joint brief, published by the International Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), calls for stronger policies that make economies more inclusive and resilient.

Demographic change, he notes, is not just about numbers; it is about how societies adapt to ensure that everyone, regardless of age or background, can contribute to and benefit from growth.