Today's top news: Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, Occupied Palestinian Territory

#Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi

UN Relief Chief fast-tracks funds for urgent response to displacement

Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher has allocated US$13.5 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to address the worsening humanitarian toll of displacement driven by the conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has led to an outflow of refugees into Burundi. $10 million will support the provision of immediate, life-saving assistance in the DRC, with $3.5 million bolstering urgent response efforts in Burundi.

Since early December, escalating armed conflict in the DRC’s South Kivu province has resulted in the population movement of an estimated 500,000 people, with families sheltering in public spaces and overcrowded sites, or with overstretched host communities. In Burundi, 85,000 new arrivals – including Congolese refugees and Burundian returnees – have further strained an already fragile system, with border points and transit centres operating at almost double their capacity. In both contexts, people are facing acute shortages of food, water, shelter, protection services and healthcare, amid heightened risks of disease outbreaks.

The new funds from CERF – the UN’s global emergency fund managed by OCHA – will support the most vulnerable displaced and host communities in the DRC’s South Kivu and Tanganyika provinces, with a focus on life-saving programmes.* In Burundi, the additional resources will go toward helping stabilize conditions at reception centres, reducing overcrowding, and supporting relocations to the Bweru site, all while delivering vital aid.

*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in need in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with urgent support.   

#Occupied Palestinian Territory

UN, partners mobilize aid for Gaza, despite ongoing impediments 

OCHA reports that humanitarian teams across the Gaza Strip and in the region continue responding to people’s needs, despite significant restrictions and impediments. 

As part of these efforts, the UN and its partners offload more essential supplies at crossings around Gaza every day. On Monday, out of nearly 4,000 pallets of aid offloaded at the crossings, about 65 per cent contained food supplies; 12 per cent carried shelter items; another 12 per cent were water, sanitation and hygiene items; and 7 per cent comprised health and nutrition supplies. Two thirds of the supplies were offloaded at the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south, and the remaining third at the Zikim crossing in the north. This data excludes bilateral donations and the commercial sector. 

Yesterday, out of five attempts by the UN to coordinate humanitarian movements with Israeli authorities inside Gaza, three were facilitated, one was initially approved but never received clearance to proceed, and another was cancelled by the organizers. As a result, teams could redeploy staff and carry out some of the planned collection of food and health supplies from Kerem Shalom crossing, alongside other missions in areas where coordination with the Israeli authorities was not required. 

Meanwhile, partners leading on education say that on Monday, one partner distributed more than 2,000 winterization kits to vulnerable children aged 12 to 14. On the same day, education partners deployed and distributed 58 specialized tents across 16 learning centres throughout the Strip to expand classroom space. This additional infrastructure is expected to accommodate nearly 25,000 children for in-person learning. 

Partners leading on mine action continue inspecting key areas for potential explosive hazards. On Monday, two such assessments to support the removal of rubble were carried out in Deir al Balah and Gaza city.