Jordan
The UN Secretary-General condemned a terrorist attack on a funeral service in a church in Hmoud, Karak Province, on the morning of 23 October. The UN Spokesman said it reportedly left seven people dead and many more injured. The FCDO's Jordan advice, updated the same day, says it is aware of reports of a shooting at a church in Karak. Neither names who was responsible. The Secretary-General's statement says: "Places of worship must be places of peace and must be safe for all."
SIA applications
The SIA's applications report, updated on 22 October, shows 3,990 close protection applications in the twelve months to September 2026, against 4,607 in the twelve months before, down 13.4 per cent. From April to September 2026 the total was 1,627, 26.8 per cent below the same months of 2025. All-sector applications fell 7.8 per cent. The report does not say why.
Niger
The FCDO updated its Niger advice on 23 October. Its change note says it updated information about attacks near the Presidential Palace and Niamey's Diori International Airport. The safety page says an attempted military-led mutiny in August 2026 resulted in heavy gunfire near the Presidential Palace and the airport, and that the situation returned to calm. The FCDO advises against all travel to Niger and says there is a very high threat of kidnapping throughout the country, including Niamey.
Ethiopia
At the UN noon briefing on 23 October, the Spokesman said humanitarian partners report drone strikes affecting civilians and civilian infrastructure in Tigray, including one that hit a local NGO's humanitarian warehouse on Wednesday. He said multiple drone strikes were reported in Amhara between 15 and 21 October, and that reports indicate they killed and injured several civilians, including children, and damaged schools. The briefing did not say who carried them out.
Yemen
The UN said on 23 October that more than 256,000 people have been forced from their homes since the fighting began in August, and more than 2,000 displaced families across five governorates have no shelter. In Taiz City, 42 health facilities report acute shortages of fuel, oxygen and medicines. Humanitarian partners have reached more than 188,000 displaced people since August.
