Today's top news: Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, Haiti

#Lebanon

Despite ceasefire, more than 1 million people still displaced

OCHA reports that humanitarian needs in the Lebanon remain severe, despite the 10-day ceasefire that came into effect on 17 April.

Displacement remains widespread. Partners say that people are returning to areas closer to their homes while remaining displaced. As an example, there has been a slight increase in the number of people staying in collective shelters in Beirut since the start of the ceasefire. Displaced people are travelling to their communities to assess the damage. 

As of today, Lebanese authorities report that more than 121,000 people are currently staying in 642 collective shelters – a slight increase of 2 per cent since yesterday. 

On food security and livelihoods, partners say food prices are rising and that livelihoods continue to be disrupted. More than 22 per cent of agricultural land has been affected by the hostilities, and according to the Ministry of Agriculture, over three quarters of farmers in southern Lebanon have been forced to suspend their work due to damage to their land.

 Humanitarian partners continue to help civilians in conflict-affected and hard-to-reach areas, with the support of the OCHA-managed Humanitarian Notification System (HNS), which notifies parties to the conflict of planned aid movements. Between the start of the conflict and today, 75 of these HNS-facilitated movements have reached people still in hard-to-reach locations in southern Lebanon. These include towns across southern Lebanon, as well as the districts of Bint Jbeil, Tyre, Hasbaya, and Jezzine.

Since 2 March, some 6 million meals have been provided in collective shelters and over 90,000 ready-to-eat rations have been distributed.

The United Nations and its humanitarian partners remain committed to providing life‑saving assistance to those most in need.

However, the humanitarian response continues to be outpaced by the scale of needs. The $308 million Flash Appeal, launched in mid-March and aiming to reach one million people over three months, has so far received just $94 million, around 30 per cent of the required funding.

#Occupied Palestinian Territory

Emergency shelters expand as health risks rise                            

OCHA reports that over the past two weeks, partners working in shelter have continued constructing emergency shelter units for displaced families in Gaza.

Partners repurposing the wooden pallets that carried supplies into Gaza say that by the start of this week, 20 such shelters had been set up across Gaza and North Gaza governorates, offering some privacy and dignity to families.

In March, the UN and partners brought thousands of shelter items into Gaza, including dozens of thousands of bedding items, tarpaulins and tents, reaching more than 45,000 families in need. 

As stocks inside Gaza are limited, priority is given to the most urgent cases among the 850,000 people who need emergency shelter items. 

The UN reiterates that more robust and longer-lasting shelter solutions are needed. This requires the entry of emergency shelter equipment and materials to repair damaged homes.

Meanwhile, teams on the ground say that pests and skin infections among people in Gaza are still on the rise. Surveillance shows that in March, such infections have more than tripled in UN-run displacement sites, affecting almost 10,000 people compared with about 3,000 in January, according to UNRWA.

Greater access is needed for the entry of anti-lice shampoo, calamine lotion, hygiene supplies, pesticides and insecticides, to avert a public health emergency and prevent further harm to civilians.

*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Gaza and the West Bank with urgent support.

#Sudan

 Renewed violence deepens civilian suffering

OCHA is alarmed by the heightened insecurity in Sudan’s Darfur region, which continues to take a heavy toll on civilians.

 According to local sources, on 21 April, a drone strike hit the town of Um Dukhun, southwest of the capital city Zalingei in Central Darfur State, reportedly killing more than ten civilians and injuring many others.

Meanwhile, in North Darfur, insecurity forced 115 people to flee their homes in the village of Damarat Al Gouba in the Kutum locality, last Sunday. They sought refuge in Al Fasher locality, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Despite the many challenges, the UN and its partners continue to respond to needs across Sudan.

The World Health Organization is now midway through its 6-day vaccination campaign, which started last Saturday and aims to reach over 80,000 children between the ages of one and five across eight localities in West Darfur, with childhood vaccines.

OCHA and its humanitarian partners reiterate the need for safe, sustained and unhindered humanitarian access, as well as flexible funding, to reach people in need and to support the most vulnerable.

*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in need in Sudan with urgent support.   

#Haiti

Armed violence drives new wave of displacement

OCHA reports that armed violence across Haiti continues to force people to flee their homes.

In the Port‑au‑Prince metropolitan area, IOM reports that armed clashes around the communes of Cité Soleil and Croix-des-Bouquets have displaced some 5,000 people since 18 April. Slightly more than half of them have sought shelter with host families, while others have relocated to displacement sites.

The violence has led to the suspension of schools and public transportation. This comes after nearly 3,000 people had been uprooted from these same neighbourhoods by violence just last month.

Armed attacks are also continuing to force people to flee in the department of Artibonite.

Food assistance, support to host families, and access to safe water and sanitation are among the top needs.

The UN and humanitarian partners are delivering assistance where they can.

OCHA is coordinating the humanitarian response in close collaboration with our partners, but insecurity, access constraints, rising emerging needs and limited funding continue to hamper the response.