Today's top news: Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Philippines

#Lebanon

The Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, has warned that the country risks falling off a humanitarian cliff as hostilities there persist. He was speaking in Paris earlier today during the international conference to support Lebanon.

Riza said the humanitarian situation in the country is already catastrophic, with attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure reaching alarming levels. Humanitarian space is increasingly constrained, as access restrictions and a lack of resources hinder efforts to deliver vital aid.

The Humanitarian Coordinator stressed that the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers is not optional – it is a legal and moral obligation. He urged all concerned actors to comply fully with international humanitarian law.

The UN and partners continue to deliver life-saving assistance to people in Lebanon, despite ongoing air strikes.

Today, a humanitarian convoy supported by the OCHA reached Tyre, in South Lebanon. The mission comprised five NGOs and delivered 14 trucks of aid, including food, mattresses, pillows and blankets.

So far this month, the UN has gotten assistance to people in hard-to-reach parts of Lebanon via seven humanitarian convoys.

For its part, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) continues to deliver services across Lebanon. However, due to the worsening security situation, some of the sites that UNFPA supports are no longer operational. This includes six out of the 16 primary healthcare centres that the agency supports, as well as one of nine mobile units and five out of 17 safe spaces for women and girls. As a result, the remaining facilities are under increasing strain. The situation is hindering access to health care and putting vulnerable groups at higher risk.

As air strikes continue in Nabatiye, Bekaa, Baalbek el Hermel and South Lebanon, the number of casualties continues to climb, with national health authorities reporting 2,574 deaths and more than 12,000 injuries since mid-October of last year.

#Occupied Palestinian Territory

OCHA reports that intense fighting continues to kill and injure civilians and damage civilian infrastructure in North Gaza, especially in and around Jabalya.

OCHA says the widespread devastation and deprivation brought on by the siege in North Gaza is indicative of a war being waged with little, if any, regard for the requirements of international law.

OCHA has received reports that families in Tel Al Zaatar, northeast of the Jabalya refugee camp – as well as west of the camp in Al Faluja – remain trapped and unable to move.

Between 50,000 and 70,000 people are estimated to remain in Jabalya. Since the Israeli ground offensive in the north began on October 6th, some 63,000 people have been newly displaced from North Gaza Governorate to Gaza city.

Palestinians in North Gaza also continue to flee the Beit Lahia area, with reports of people there moving westward through Jaffa Street. However, many residents remain in their homes amid heavy bombardment.

The Palestinian Civil Defense says its operations have completely stopped in North Gaza Governorate, leaving the entire population there without humanitarian rescue services.

The Civil Defense reports that several of its staff members were either injured or detained by Israeli forces. Meanwhile, the only firefighting truck in the north reportedly caught fire after it was shelled.

OCHA stresses yet again that parties to the conflict must protect civilians, including humanitarian personnel and first responders. The vital work that they do must be facilitated, not targeted. 

#Syria

As ongoing hostilities in Lebanon displace more people across the border into Syria, the Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator, Joyce Msuya, has allocated an additional $4 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund for urgent relief efforts. This brings the total amount allocated to support new arrivals from Lebanon in Syria to $12 million.

This funding will allow the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the World Food Programme, UN Population Fund and UNICEF to provide emergency support, including food, nutrition and shelter.  

UNHCR says that over the past month, since 23 September, some 430,000 people have crossed into Syria from Lebanon, according to the relevant authorities. Nearly three quarters are Syrian nationals, and roughly 80 per cent of these new arrivals are women and children.

OCHA's Director for Operations and Advocacy, Edem Wosornu, told the Security Council yesterday, this influx is adding to an already massive humanitarian crisis in Syria, where more than 16 million people are in need of assistance and more than 7 million are internally displaced.

It is also putting more demand on an already overstretched response: This year’s $4.1 billion appeal for Syria is just over one quarter funded, with just $1.1 billion received to date.

Increasing support for these new arrivals – as well as the communities hosting them, many of which are already vulnerable – is critical.

Meanwhile, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, Adam Abdeloumoula, is warning about the impact of an air strike earlier this week on the main road at the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria – the second such strike in less than three weeks.

In a statement, he said the attack has rendered this vital route impassable. The crossing is the main pathway for people escaping the escalating hostilities in Lebanon into Syria. Parents are now having to carry their children and belongings as they navigate their way between two huge craters in the road.

Abdelmoula called for an immediate end to such attacks, which pose serious risks to people fleeing danger and block the flow of life-saving humanitarian aid.

#Philippines

Tropical Cyclone Trami, which made landfall earlier today, has resulted in widespread flooding and landslides across the Philippines.

According to authorities, there have been 10 deaths, with more than 2.6 million people having been affected across 14 of the country’s 18 regions.

Provinces in the south of the largest island of Luzon have been most affected, with floods and landslides damaging roads, bridges and power lines, leaving communities isolated. Hundreds of families have been displaced.

The UN is working closely with the Government of the Philippines, which is leading the response. We are providing supplies already in the country, such as hygiene kits and dignity kits. The World Food Program is coordinating with the Government to deploy mobile storage units, while the Food and Agriculture Organization is working closely with the Department of Agriculture to support farmers affected by the cyclone.