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

#Lebanon

Humanitarian crisis intensifies as millions uprooted, aid workers attacked

OCHA says that the humanitarian situation in Lebanon is grave, as hostilities continue unabated ahead of talks between Israel and Lebanon, which are set to begin today.

Local authorities have reported more than 2,000 people killed and over 6,500 injured since 2 March. That includes at least 166 children killed and over 600 injured, and more than 250 women killed and 1,000 injured, underscoring the severe civilian toll.

More than one million people have been displaced by the hostilities. Some 140,000 people are currently sheltering in 680 collective sites, many of which are overcrowded, and are struggling to meet their basic needs. Many more remain outside formal shelters in sub-standard conditions.

Attacks on healthcare and humanitarian workers continue with impunity, with a total of 133 attacks on healthcare recorded by the World Health Organization (WHO) since the start of the conflict. These attacks have resulted in more than 80 deaths and over 190 injuries.

Last Sunday, a Lebanese Red Cross paramedic was killed and another paramedic injured in the municipality of Beit Yahoun, Bint Jbeil district, while responding to an earlier strike. According to the International Federation of the Red Cross, the ambulances were clearly marked and the mission had been notified in advance. This is the second Lebanese Red Cross volunteer killed since the beginning of the conflict.

The health system remains under severe strain. At least 55 primary healthcare centres and 6 hospitals have been forced to close due to hostilities, while 14 hospitals and 7 primary healthcare centres have been damaged. Health partners, including the WHO, continue to support the Ministry of Public Health, and have provided more than 39,000 subsidised health consultations and delivered medication to over 58,000 people.

Humanitarian funding remains insufficient. One month after the joint launch of the Lebanon Flash Appeal – aiming to reach one million people over three months - only 22 per cent of funds have been received – that is just $67 million out of the $308 million required. While contributions to date are appreciated, more support is urgently needed to sustain and scale up the response.

#Occupied Palestinian Territory

 Pest infestations surge in displacement sites

 OCHA warns that in half of all displacement sites across Gaza, people are affected by skin diseases and cases are on the rise,  is according to site management partners who have surveyed more than 1,600 displacement sites.

In addition, rodents and pests are frequently observed in 80 per cent of the sites. The UN and its humanitarian partners have distributed mechanical traps and sprayed chemicals, but only on a limited scale, relying largely on locally available items. Partners have supported livestock owners with pest-control supplies.

Partners are also raising awareness of personal hygiene, sanitation, the safe use of chemicals in affected sites, and where to seek medical advice. 

More approvals are needed to take in pest-control chemicals, hygiene supplies and the engine oils and spare parts needed for pumping, rubble removal and other operations. 

Today, OCHA and its partners visited Al Ittihad displacement site in Khan Younis following an alert from families living in tents on the ground where the soil has eroded and is at risk of collapse. Humanitarian partners will support 25 families who have decided to temporarily relocate for their safety while partners begin the necessary repairs. 

OCHA says that more than one million people are living in unsafe shelters and makeshift tents and urgently need durable shelter solutions. This includes repairs to damaged homes and the entry of emergency shelter equipment. 

Meanwhile, reports continue of Israeli strikes and shelling hitting residential areas, putting civilians at risk. Yesterday, at least two children were reportedly injured in Khan Younis. OCHA reiterates that civilians and civilian facilities must always be protected. 

#Sudan

Three years on, world “failing” Sudan – UN Relief Chief

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, warned that, three years into the war, Sudan remains a test the world is failing.

Sudan remains the largest humanitarian crisis globally. Nearly 34 million people in Sudan - or almost two out of every three people - need humanitarian assistance, as hunger tightens its grip, children face acute malnutrition and women and girls are subjected to widespread and brutal violence.

 Fletcher called for urgent action to stop the fighting, protect civilians, ensure safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, and mobilize the funding needed to sustain life-saving operations.

 Fletcher will join other leaders at the Third International Sudan Conference in Berlin tomorrow, which marks three years since the conflict in Sudan began.

UNICEF reports that nearly 250 children were killed or maimed in Sudan in the first three months of this year. This is a 50 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

Drone strikes have reportedly killed nearly 700 civilians in the first three months of this year. Yesterday, a drone strike in Ed Daein, East Darfur State, reportedly killed nine civilians and injured 27 others, including a child and health-affiliated workers.

 At the same time, humanitarian operations are being further constrained. In North Darfur State, restrictions on communications equipment are disrupting aid coordination and undermining efforts to reach people in need.

OCHA reiterates that the violence must stop. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected in line with international humanitarian law. Humanitarian access must be rapid, safe, unimpeded and sustained, and the response must be fully funded to save lives.

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

#Yemen

UN official warns regional escalation is pushing millions into the brink

Addressing the Security Council today on Yemen, Edem Wosornu, OCHA’s Crisis Response Division Director, said the humanitarian situation in the country continues to worsen after a decade of conflict, with nearly 22 million people in need of aid and many barely surviving.

She said regional escalation is driving up fuel and food prices, disrupting supply routes and making it harder to deliver aid in a country heavily reliant on imports. Meanwhile, the health system is collapsing health system and nearly 18 million people face severe hunger.

Wosornu reminded the Security Council that humanitarian work is increasingly constrained, with UN and NGO staff detained, assets seized and access restricted, making Yemen one of the most difficult places for humanitarians to work.

Wosornu warned that we cannot allow this catastrophe to continue, calling on the Security Council to ensure humanitarians can work safely; to fund the $2.16 billion response plan for 12 million people, which is currently less than a third funded; and to support efforts toward peace.