Today's top news: Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ukraine, Sudan
#Lebanon
UN delivers aid amid escalating instability
OCHA says that the UN and its humanitarian partners – together with the Government – continue to scale up delivery of humanitarian assistance across Lebanon.
The World Food Programme and its partners have provided more than 1.1 million hot meals. Over 165,000 emergency nutrition rations and micronutrient supplements have also been distributed.
The UN Refugee Agency and its partners have distributed nearly 85,000 mattresses, 50,000 sleeping mats, and nearly 100,000 blankets, while UNICEF and humanitarian partners have distributed over 28,000 hygiene kits and 13,000 menstrual hygiene kits. They have also delivered nearly 480,000 liters of bottled drinking water and nearly 3,000 cubic metres of water through water trucking.
More than 350,000 litres of fuel have been provided to Water Establishments to sustain public water supply services.
As of yesterday, according to the Ministry of Public Health, 968 people have been killed in Israeli strikes, with more than 2,400 others injured. More than one million people are displaced.
Repeated displacement orders are pushing more families out of their homes and shelters. Critical infrastructure – including two bridges that link southern Lebanon to the rest of the country - is being impacted.
Attacks on healthcare are adding further strain to Lebanon’s health system and increasing risks for medical personnel providing life-saving care. Since 2 March, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 33 attacks that killed 31 people and injured 48 others.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Lebanon with urgent support.
#Occupied Palestinian Territory
Rafah crossing reopens today, medical evacuations possible
OCHA reports the Rafah crossing reopened today for the limited movement of people in both directions, following a 20-day suspension.
This morning, the WHO and its partners supported the medical evacuation of nine adult patients requiring treatment that is unavailable in the Gaza Strip. Health colleagues say that most of these patients have trauma injuries, and that they were accompanied by 16 companions into Egypt.
Some 18,000 patients in Gaza remain without the treatment they urgently need. More patients will be able to access care once the Israeli authorities allow the resumption of referrals to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Meanwhile, scaling up health services within Gaza remains a top priority, which requires facilitating the entry of critical equipment.
As of earlier today, the UN and humanitarian partners are preparing to provide humanitarian services and support to people returning through Egypt.
OCHA states that the Kerem Shalom remains the only operational crossing for incoming humanitarian and commercial supplies, presenting a major bottleneck. Yesterday, three planned UN convoys to collect supplies from the crossing had to be cancelled after the Israeli authorities informed us that only fuel would be let in that day. This forced UN agencies to leave food, fodder and other items at the crossing for later pick up.
Humanitarians warn that reports continue of strikes hitting residential areas and causing casualties both in Gaza and in the West Bank – a reminder that civilians and civilian facilities must always be protected.
Yesterday, three Palestinian women were reportedly killed in the southern West Bank during a missile attack carried out in the context of the regional escalation, and today a fourth Palestinian woman reportedly died of her wounds. These are the first fatalities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in the context of the regional escalation. So far, damage to homes and vehicles has been reported in multiple locations across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, due to debris falling following the interception of Iranian missiles by Israeli forces.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Gaza and the West Bank with urgent support.
#Ukraine
Humanitarian aid deliveries despite relentless strikes
Despite recent strikes, OCHA reports that humanitarians continue to deliver aid to front-line areas in Ukraine.
On Tuesday, 17 March, an inter-agency convoy – comprising the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the Ukrainian Red Cross Society and a national NGO delivered hygiene supplies, solar lamps, bedding and other essential items to the community of Borova in the Kharkiv Region.
Yesterday, another humanitarian convoy, the UN Refugee Agency, UNFPA and partners, led by OCHA’s Head of Office Andrea De Domenico, delivered aid to the town of Mezhova, 10 km from the front line, in the Dnipro Region.
In both communities, drone strikes have disrupted local services, with most shops and pharmacies closed. This has left many of the remaining residents, including older people and people with disabilities, reliant on humanitarian assistance.
Civilians across the country continue to be impacted by the hostilities. The Human Rights Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, reported that at least 188 civilians were killed and 757 were injured in February, which is more than a 30 per cent increase compared to February of last year.
Local authorities report that between 17 March and the early hours of today, hostilities across Ukraine have killed over a dozen civilians and injured nearly 100 people. In particular, today’s drone strikes injured several residents and damaged a dozen residential buildings in the very centre of Odesa City, damaged a school in the Chernihiv Region, and left thousands of families in the Volyn Region without power, despite the region being far from the front line.
#Sudan
Humanitarians continue to deliver amidst growing risks
OCHA reports that civilians continue to pay the price as drone attacks and ground fighting escalate in several parts of Sudan.
Several people were reportedly killed on Tuesday in the locality of Bara, north-east of El Obeid city, the state capital of North Kordofan. On the same day, IOM reported that 150 people were displaced from Sherim Mima village in Bara locality to Um Dam Haj Ahmed locality in North Kordofan.
Fighting also continues around the town of Tina on the border with Chad.
Yesterday, the Government of Chad reported that 17 people were killed as a drone struck Tiné, on the Chad side of the border, demonstrating the growing regional risks as the war continues in Sudan.
Despite the many challenges, the UN and humanitarian partners continue to respond to needs across Sudan.
Last week, Save the Children delivered 30 metric tons of medicine and nutrition supplies to Tawila in North Darfur. These supplies are expected to support more than 80,000 children and 57,000 adults and will enable 20 health facilities and mobile clinics to continue serving displaced communities for six months.
This week, IOM reported that the overall number of displaced people in Sudan has fallen, with close to 9 million people now estimated to remain displaced within Sudan’s borders and returns to Khartoum and the eastern states continuing.
People who return face huge challenges as they begin to rebuild their lives and livelihoods, often in areas that have suffered severe damage during earlier phases of the war and where huge gaps in basic services remain.
Large numbers of Sudanese refugees remain in neighbouring countries in need of support.
Humanitarians are calling for more funding, as well as rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained access, to scale up assistance. The 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan, which requires $2.9 billion to reach more than 20 million people across Sudan, is only about 16 per cent funded, with $454 million received so far.
UNHCR and its partners also require a further $1.6 billion this year, to support refugees and host communities in neighbouring countries.