Mariana Katzarova, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, briefs reporters following presentation of her report to General Assembly Third Committee, on 28 October 2025. (UN Photo/Loey Felipe)

UN rights expert calls out Moscow’s intensified repression of opponents outside Russia. Reporting to the Human Rights Council this week on the Kremlin’s widening crackdown on Russian critics overseas, Maria Katzarova urged states to create a binding international instrument to put a stop to authoritarian governments reaching across borders.

Bringing you the latest from UN press briefings in Geneva.

A displaced Yemeni at Al-Firdaws camp in Ras Imran, on the western outskirts of Aden, Yemen, 22 September 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)

🇾🇪YEMEN DISPLACEMENT SURGES. The recent flare up in hostilities between Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed government since the beginning of September has forced more than 130,000 people to flee from Yemen, where over 22 million more require humanitarian assistance, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. These numbers already exceed the highest daily arrivals of Yemenis since 2015.

What they said. “Civilians continue to be at the front of the conflict,” Armen Yedgaryan, UNHCR representative in Yemen, told Geneva reporters on Tuesday, explaining that casualties and displacement continue to rise while insecurity and access continue to hamper humanitarian operations.

Across the gulf of Aden. In just a few days, more than 3,000 Yemenis have arrived in Djibouti and Somalia after making the treacherous journey across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The UNHCR is preparing for 10,000 more arrivals by mid-October, when calmer conditions will make sea crossings easier.

Money woes. Despite the dire situation, severe funding cuts threaten UN relief operations, with only $34 million of the required $194m raised so far for 2026.

🌡️EL NIÑO TO HIT HARD. The global weather phenomenon is set to reach its peak in November, yet its effects will continue beyond then, the World Meteorological Organization warned yesterday.

Brace for impact. “This is a forecast, not a finish line,” said Armel Castellan, the WMO’s extreme heat services technical adviser, stressing that it will lead to extreme heat, droughts, wildfires and changing rainfall patterns.

“The health risks are enormous,” noted Dr Teresa Zakaria from the WHO, pointing to heat exposure and the risks of the spread of diseases like cholera and malaria.

Over in New York. Speaking at a UN General Assembly side event yesterday, WMO secretary general Celeste Saulo highlighted that cities were especially at risk from extreme heat. Following the panel, she wrote in a social media post: “We cannot prevent the heat that is coming. But we can make sure our cities and communities are ready.”

And in Geneva. This comes amid calls from scientists and civil society organisations for Spain to nominate the WHO's former director for environment, climate change and health, Maria Neira, in the race for the UN health agency's future director general. (Health Policy Watch)

— Agostina Cerisoli & Michelle Langrand

Illustration by Lissillour Lorenzini for Le Temps

❝Waging war with words: how language normalises violence. The “fog of war”, “special operation”, a ministry of “war” replacing the ministry of “defense”: words speak volumes – and their absence too, writes international law professor Andrew Clapham, who asks why “pacifism” is no longer discussed. This is part of a series we're publishing this week in collaboration with Le Temps.