Today's top news: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Sudan, Somalia

#Democratic Republic of the Congo

Escalating violence, insecurity in South Kivu’s Uvira put local communities and humanitarians at risk

OCHA is alarmed by the recent escalation of violence and insecurity in Uvira, a city about 100 kilometers south of Bukavu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Clashes and rising crime in Uvira are putting local communities and humanitarian workers in extreme danger, with humanitarian partners reporting multiple incidents of looting and sexual violence.

Elsewhere in South Kivu, humanitarian assessments over the last ten days indicate that more than 10,000 displaced people have returned from Idjwi island in Lake Kivu due to dire conditions there to villages in the areas of Minova and Kalehe. More than 100,000 people had fled to the island since late January.

Partners also report that people have been returning to parts of North Kivu, where a recent assessment found that 80,000 people have returned to villages in the territory of Masisi, about 80 kilometers northwest of Goma. Infrastructure in these villages was largely destroyed by recent fighting, and returnees urgently need humanitarian assistance. Ongoing clashes in Masisi are also exposing people to risks of violence and rights violations.

In Ituri province, humanitarian partners report that violence is on the rise in the territory of Djugu, where attacks by armed men killed eight civilians and abducted two people between 21 and 23 February. Insecurity in the area has forced at least 17,000 people to flee their homes and partners have had to suspend the delivery of humanitarian assistance to some 45,000 people. 

#Occupied Palestinian Territory

Gaza: UN, partners continue to scale up aid

OCHA reports that the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to provide more aid to people in need, including in previously inaccessible areas.

Today, 748 trucks entered Gaza, according to information obtained by the UN on the ground through interactions with the Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire deal.

OCHA’s partners working in health are scaling up support to health facilities across Gaza to restore essential services and boost capacity. They have distributed life-saving medical supplies for some 1.8 million people, including kits for trauma and emergency care, primary health care, non-communicable diseases, sexual and reproductive health, maternal care and childcare, as well as dignity kits and nutrition supplements. 

Another national emergency medical team of 52 Palestinian doctors and surgeons was recently deployed to Al Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah and the European Gaza and Nasser hospitals in Khan Younis to enhance surgical capacity.

The polio campaign, which started last Saturday, has reached 99 per cent of the children targeted as of yesterday, bringing the total number of children vaccinated to 586,000.

Meanwhile, OCHA’s partners working in shelter continue to distribute emergency shelter materials and other items to displaced families. Since the ceasefire, partners have provided more than 27,000 bedding kits, 619,000 blankets, 122,000 mattresses and 129,000 items of clothing.

On the water, sanitation and hygiene front, OCHA’s partners report that since the start of the ceasefire, the production of water has more than doubled due to increased fuel availability and basic emergency repairs. In addition, solid waste management is scaling up to further mitigate public health risks. However, the total volume of water produced and supplied still stands at about a third of water supply prior to October 2023.

OCHA stresses that sustaining the ceasefire is vital to continue to scale up our response and to prevent further loss of life and human suffering. All Member States must leverage their influence to ensure the ceasefire holds.

West Bank: Israeli operations continue and expand to Nablus governorate

Israeli forces’ operations continue in Jenin and Tulkarm and have expanded to Nablus governorate.

Yesterday, Israeli forces conducted a 14-hour raid in Nablus city, resulting in yet another fatality and multiple injuries.

During the operation, Israeli forces closed checkpoints around Nablus, leaving people stranded for several hours.

OCHA reiterates that in law enforcement, the use of potentially lethal force may only be used when strictly unavoidable to protect life or prevent serious injury.

Israel as the occupying power has a legal obligation to protect Palestinians and maintain public order and safety in the West Bank in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights law.

#Syria

Hostilities continue to impact civilians in eastern Aleppo and southern Syria

OCHA says that hostilities in different parts of Syria are affecting civilians and humanitarian access to people in need.

In eastern Aleppo – including in the vicinity of the Tishreen Dam and the Al-Khafsa water pumping station – and in the south of the country, hostilities have resulted in casualties, as well as restrictions in humanitarian access and movements of people.

The UN and its partners continue to provide assistance as security, logistical and funding conditions permit.

Yesterday, 43 trucks carrying more than 1,000 metric tons of food from the World Food Programme – enough for 200,000 people – and blankets, solar lamps and other items provided by the International Organization for Migration crossed from Türkiye to Idleb through the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing. Since the start of this year, nearly 400 trucks have crossed from Türkiye into Syria – five times the number of trucks at the same time last year.

Across the country, partners are supporting the rehabilitation of homes, infrastructure, schools and roads. In north-west Syria, 350 homes have been rehabilitated since last month. In Damascus and its rural surroundings, more than 700 people have received support in repairing their homes. Over the past two weeks, three water stations have been restored in Lattakia.

However, the toll of destruction remains overwhelming. In Aleppo, 34 health facilities in former front-line areas have sustained damage or destruction and require immediate rehabilitation to restore essential health services.

In the south, partners say there is a rising demand for shelter support due to the return of refugee families, particularly to Dar’a Governorate. Many returnees are currently staying with relatives as their homes are damaged. In one sub-district of Dar’a alone, as many as 3,000 houses are damaged and urgently require rehabilitation. In the city of Quneitra, partners warn that ongoing insecurity could hinder shelter repair efforts.

#Sudan

Nearly two years of relentless conflict have turned parts of Sudan into a “hellscape,” OCHA tells Security Council

Nearly two years of relentless conflict in Sudan have inflicted immense suffering and turned parts of the country into a hellscape, with more than half the country’s population experiencing acute hunger, Edem Wosornu, OCHA’s Director of Operations and Advocacy, told the Security Council this morning.

Speaking on behalf of Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Wosornu warned of the alarming situations in North Darfur, including in the Zamzam displacement camp, where civilians remain under attack, forcing the World Food Porgramme to suspend operations there.

She noted that civilians – including local responders and community volunteers – also continue to be directly impacted by ongoing fierce fighting in parts of the capital, Khartoum.

Wosornu welcomed the decision by the Sudanese authorities to extend the authorization of the use of the Adre crossing for humanitarian movements.

But, she cautioned, the reality remains that what is getting through is still a fraction of what is required, with insecurity and active hostilities, persistent bureaucratic impediments and broader interference continuing to undermine efforts to reach people in need.

Wosornu emphasized the need to protect civilians, increase access to civilians in need, and mobilize funding swiftly.

#Somalia

Without urgent funding for humanitarian action, millions could once again face deepening hunger

OCHA warns about deteriorating food security in Somalia.

The latest IPC – or Integrated Food Security Phase Classification – analysis shows that one million more people will face crisis levels of food insecurity in the coming months due to worsening drought conditions, conflict and high food prices. 

Some 3.4 million people are already experiencing crisis-levels of hunger, but this figure is expected to rise to 4.4 million – or nearly a quarter of the population – between April and June when below-average rains are forecast.

Some 1.7 million children under the age of 5 are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year and will need urgent treatment. Of these children, more than 460,000 of them are expected to suffer from severe malnutrition.

The Federal Government of Somalia and UN agencies jointly warned today that without swift funding for humanitarian action, the country – which in 2022 was pushed to the brink of famine by severe drought – millions could once again face deepening hunger.

This year, about one third of Somalia’s population – nearly 6 million people – need humanitarian assistance, but the US$1.42 billion humanitarian appeal is just 12 per cent funded at $176 million.