Today's top news: Middle East, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan

#Middle East

Civilians at risk across region as supply routes disrupted

OCHA says that the United Nations and its partners continue to monitor the rapidly evolving situation across the Middle East, where hostilities are increasingly affecting civilians, humanitarian operations and essential supply routes.

Disruptions to airspace and transportation corridors continue to affect the movement of humanitarian supplies and personnel, as well as commercial goods. This puts supply chains at risk and could have broader implications for the availability and cost of essential food, fuel and medical supplies.

In Iran, authorities report more than 1,000 deaths and damage to over 100 civilian sites, including residential areas, medical and pharmaceutical facilities, Iranian Red Crescent Society bases and schools. The UN Refugee Agency reports that around 100,000 people have been displaced since 28 February, with population movements observed from major cities toward rural areas.

The Government is leading the humanitarian response. The humanitarian community is mobilizing and is ready to support.

Turning to Lebanon, bombardments in the south of the country and in the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut, continue to impact civilians.

As of yesterday evening, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health reported more than 70 fatalities and over 435 injuries since the start of the escalation.

Today, Israeli authorities renewed orders instructing residents south of the Litani River, including those in the cities of Tyr and Bint Jbeil, to move north of the river. A forced displacement order was also issued for Dahieh, an entire neighbourhood in the south of Beirut.

According to the Government, more than 95,000 people are sheltering in over 440 collective shelters, with 49 shelters still having capacity to host additional people.

In close coordination with national and local authorities, humanitarians are scaling up operations to support people in collective shelters and host communities.

Humanitarian partners working on food security have distributed more than 70,000 hot meals, reaching 55,000 newly displaced people.

Humanitarians have also distributed mattresses, sleeping mats, blankets, solar lamps and jerry cans. They have also provided drinking water and hygiene, baby and menstrual kits.

OCHA reiterates that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times in accordance with international humanitarian law. De-escalation, safe humanitarian access and functioning supply routes remain essential to ensure assistance can reach people affected across the region.

#Occupied Palestinian Territory

Critical aid reaches civilians amidst access constraints

OCHA report that efforts to provide assistance continue across Gaza despite many persisting challenges, some of which are related to the ongoing regional escalation, such as the closure of some crossing points.

Humanitarian organizations have been able to bring fuel and other critical items into Gaza since Tuesday, when the Israeli authorities reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing. 

Today, the UN was able to bring into Gaza some 570,000 litres of diesel through Kerem Shalom. Humanitarians were also able to collect critical supplies from the crossing. Other crossings are still closed, including Rafah, impacting aid organization’s ability to bring in more much-needed assistance. 

Furthermore, while coordinated movements within Gaza have resumed, international personnel rotations remain suspended. 

OCHA reiterates that safe, sustained and unimpeded access is vital for the UN and humanitarian organizations to carry out life-saving work. 

More crossings must be open for the movement of cargo and people. In addition, the entry of items critical for timely and effective response must be facilitated.

Meanwhile, humanitarians are doing everything in their power to ensure people’s needs are met. Over the past week, partners leading on mine action conducted nearly 70 explosive hazard assessments in support of debris management efforts across Gaza. 

Living conditions remain dire across the Strip. 

In a recent assessment by partners who manage displacement sites, findings showed that only 11 per cent out of nearly 1,000 sites have communal lighting. Open sewage was observed in more than half of all sites surveyed. The UN and its partners are working tirelessly to ensure dignified and safe shelter conditions, but, in the absence of changes in the operating environment, the needs continue to outpace humanitarians’ ability to respond. 

Since Saturday, partners leading on education distributed education supplies in dozens of temporary learning centres in Khan Younis and parts of Rafah. These supplies will improve the quality of learning for tens of thousands of school-aged children as well as support their wellbeing and development.  

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

#Sudan

Hospitals, key supply routes hit as conflict spreads in Kordofan region

OCHA is deeply concerned by the escalating violence in Sudan’s Kordofan region. Intensified fighting has killed and injured civilians, destroyed homes, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure. Humanitarian access is also being further constrained.

In South Kordofan, confrontations between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces have intensified over the past week. Local humanitarian organizations have reported disruption of key routes into the city of Dilling.

Humanitarian partners also report that a drone strike this week hit the Dilling General Hospital, killing at least four patients and injuring several civilians. Violence has also escalated in the town of Kadugli, resulting in a highly volatile security environment for communities and humanitarian responders.

In North Kordofan, the city of El Obeid has faced continued drone attacks over the past five days, with strikes reported against a hospital as well as government sites. At the same time, critical infrastructure and supply routes, including the road between the cities of Kosti and El Obeid, are increasingly under threat, raising serious concerns for both humanitarian and commercial supply chains.

OCHA once again calls for the parties to adhere to their obligations under IHL, including the need to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as facilitating humanitarian access.

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