An internally displaced Palestinian boy inspects the rubble at the UNRWA-run school-turned-shelter of al-Jaouni in Al-Nusairat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, 12 September 2024. (Keystone/EPA/Mohammed Saber)

🖋️UNRWA: big names in Switzerland call on council of states to reverse national council’s decision. A letter signed by former ambassadors, Middle East experts and heads of international organisations said that the move to cut funding to the UN aid organisation would be counterproductive to Switzerland.

⛓️French citizen convicted in Russia of collecting military information and gets three years in prison. Laurent Vinatier, an advisor at the Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, asked for clemency from the judge after admitting guilt, while France’s foreign ministry demanded his release.

🤫Cameroon bans reports on President Biya’s health. The frequent guest to Geneva has not been seen in weeks.

👩🏻‍💻An important UN election you’ve probably never heard of. The election on 25 October at the UN in New York of new commissioners to fill three seats on the International Civil Service Commission that determines salaries and employment conditions in the organisation will be lacking in transparency.

🚸The UN says over 400,000 children in Lebanon have been displaced in three weeks by war. Unicef warns of a “lost generation”, as Israel escalates its military campaign against the Hezbollah armed group.