Today's top news: Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Yemen, Myanmar,
Lebanon
The UN and humanitarian partners launched a Flash Appeal this morning in Beirut, Lebanon, with the Government, to address the rapidly escalating humanitarian needs in the country.
The US$426 million appeal aims to support 1 million people with humanitarian assistance for the next three months.
The Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, warned that without sufficient resources, humanitarians risk leaving the population of an entire country without the support they urgently require. He added that no amount of aid can fully address this crisis if civilians continue to be targeted and called for all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and prioritize humanitarian access.
Meanwhile, OCHA warns that the number of displaced people is expected to rise as the Israeli Defense Forces continue to issue evacuation orders, including in 30 villages in south Lebanon between yesterday and today.
The health sector is also impacted by the ongoing crisis with the closure of health facilities and the shortage of health workers in frontline hospitals. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), five hospitals in South and Nabatieh governorates have been damaged.
The UN and partners are supporting the Government’s response by providing food, nutrition for children, water and essential supplies such as mattresses and hygiene and emergency health kits. UNICEF supported nearly 200 collective shelters hosting 50,000 displaced with essential supplies, including fuel, mattresses, hygiene kits and water. WHO continues to support Lebanese Public Health Emergency Operation Centre by providing staff, financial and technical support.
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Gaza
In Gaza, OCHA says Israeli bombardment from the air, land and sea continues to be reported across the Strip, resulting in civilian casualties, displacement, and destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Meanwhile, ground operations continue to be reported – including in areas south of Gaza city, as well as Deir al Balah, Khan Younis and Rafah.
Besides the ongoing hostilities, aid organizations face other major obstacles to their work, including insecurity and access challenges. Our partners working to provide food assistance report that due to persistent supply shortages, more than 1.4 million people across Gaza had not received their monthly food rations as of late September. Despite the challenges, the World Food Programme reached some 363,000 people in Gaza in September, albeit with reduced rations.
Dwindling stocks are also making it increasingly difficult to keep bakeries and community kitchens running. As of the third week of September, our humanitarian partners reported that more than 150 kitchens were providing about 600,000 cooked meals to families across Gaza every day. However, this level of meal production is expected to decrease in October as supplies run low.
Additional supplies are urgently needed to ensure that aid organizations can support vulnerable households ahead of the rainy season and winter months. This coincides with a significant increase in the price of firewood, which is pushing more people into energy poverty – at a time when gas supplies are limited and Gaza remains under an electricity blackout.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that yesterday, eight patients – seven of them children – were evacuated from Gaza for specialized medical care in Romania. They were accompanied by two dozen companions. WHO says half of the patients have cancer, two have blood disease, one needs a kidney transplant, and one has a severe injury.
Despite these small successes, health partners report that an estimated 12,000 patients have not been evacuated since the closure of Rafah in last May. We call for evacuation corridors and for all possible routes to be used for safe and timely passage of all patients who need specialized care.
West Bank
In the West Bank, OCHA reports that operations by Israeli forces into cities and refugee camps continue to be reported in multiple locations in the north.
During operations in Tulkarm today, Israeli bulldozers damaged roads in Tulkarm city and its refugee camp, disrupting water and sewage networks and cutting off drinking water for more than 25,000 people.
OCHA warns that lethal, war-like tactics are being applied repeatedly during these operations in the West Bank, raising concerns over use of force that exceeds law enforcement standards.
We reiterate that in the West Bank, Israeli forces must adhere to international law enforcement standards, where lethal force and firearms should only be used as a last resort and only against imminent threats of death or serious injury. Humanitarian access must also be allowed and unhindered.
Yemen
OCHA reports that humanitarian partners have conducted an initial assessment of the Hodeidah and Ras Issa port in Yemen following the attacks there Sunday. Both ports remain operational and able to receive commercial and humanitarian imports.
Power stations throughout Hodeidah city are, however, running at very limited capacity. The UN is distributing fuel to health facilities to keep generators running.
The Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Julien Harneis, travelled to Hodeidah today to assess the situation and our ongoing efforts to provide food and nutrition as needs increase, especially along Yemen’s west coast.
Myanmar
In Myanmar, the acting Emergency Relief Coordinator, Joyce Msuya, has allocated $4 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to support the response to the floods caused by Typhoon Yagi in early September.
The additional funds will help strengthen the humanitarian response in the hardest hit regions of Bago, Kayin, Mandalay and Shan, focusing on food, water, sanitation and hygiene, shelter, and protection. This will complement the Myanmar Humanitarian Fund's efforts to quickly support partners best placed to deliver lifesaving aid in communities hardest hit by the recent floods.
Since 9 September heavy monsoon rains and remnants of Typhoon Yagi have led to severe flooding in multiple states and regions across the country. An estimated 1 million people have been affected in 70 out of Myanmar’s 330 townships. Over 360 fatalities have been reported, with 100 more missing.
Ukraine
OCHA says that attacks today in the south of Ukraine resulted in more civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure.
An attack this morning in a busy marketplace in Kherson City killed and injured civilians. This afternoon, Zaporizhzhia came under heavy bombardment and authorities reported civilian casualties, including an injured child.
Continued hostilities in the east also damaged homes and civilian infrastructure and reportedly killed and injured dozens of civilians in the Kharkiv Region and on both sides of the front line in the Donetsk Region.