Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Haiti
#Occupied Palestinian Territory
Aid stocks run low as bombardment of Gaza continues
OCHA says that the situation in Gaza continues to rapidly worsen. Intensified hostilities continue across the Strip, killing and injuring people and severely constraining the ability of humanitarian workers to provide life-saving support.
Since the ground operation commenced in Rafah on Sunday, several ambulances belonging to the Palestinian Civil Defense and the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) were hit while trying to rescue the wounded, and their crew became trapped in the area. Contact with the teams was lost, but several casualties have been reported.
Yesterday, an OCHA and PRCS team attempted to help extract any casualties and recover the ambulances, but they were unable to reach the area. A number of civilians are reportedly still trapped in the area due to ongoing hostilities. The UN and its partners are attempting to organize safe passage for these civilians to leave.
OCHA reiterates that civilians must be protected under international law. Health workers, including first responders, should never be targeted. Civilians fleeing fighting must be allowed to do so safely, and they must be able to voluntarily return when the situation allows.
More people in Gaza are being forced to flee, as the Israeli authorities issue more displacement orders. Two new directives went out last night for western parts of Gaza. The area under displacement orders now covers 18 per cent of Gaza's territory.
Those newly displaced urgently need life-saving aid, including food, water, medicine and shelter. The UN and its partners are responding to people’s deepening needs as much as the situation allows, but the complete closure of the crossings for the entry of cargo, which includes humanitarian aid – coupled with the ongoing hostilities – are making it increasingly difficult.
Tens of thousands of tents and hundreds of thousands shelter items are waiting to enter Gaza, as the crossings remain fully shut. Many families forced to flee are unable to bring any of their belongings, further intensifying the shelter crisis. Dwindling shelter stocks in Gaza are completely insufficient to meet the immense needs.
World Food Programme (WFP) warns that hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are again at risk of severe hunger and malnutrition as humanitarian stocks dwindle and crossings remain closed to aid. Ongoing insecurity and severe restrictions of movement are resulting in a significant disruption of food assistance operations.
With the deteriorating security situation, rapid displacement of people and growing needs, WFP has decided to distribute as much food as possible, as quickly as possible.
WFP and their partners say they have more than 85,000 tons [more than 77,000 metric tons] of food supplies outside Gaza and ready to enter if the crossings are reopened.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the health system in Gaza is in freefall. Health partners report that essential medical supplies for managing mass casualty incidents need to be restocked due to the sharp increase in trauma cases and the severity of injuries. WHO says there are fewer than 500 units of blood available when 8,000 are needed each month. Anaesthesia and vaccines are also running out.
#Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cholera and conflict fuel suffering in eastern DRC
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), OCHA reports that the humanitarian situation in the eastern provinces remains dire, marked by violence, disease outbreaks and access constraints.
In South Kivu province, local humanitarian partners report that armed men abducted and raped two women and killed another in Kalehe Territory on 25 March. Local partners say that reports of sexual violence by armed groups have risen sharply in recent weeks, adding that the cases are still underreported as some victims fear retaliation.
On the same day, armed clashes resumed in the Katana area of Kabare Territory, killing at least two civilians, according to local civil society.
The fighting also temporarily blocked the road between the cities of Bukavu and Kalehe, halting the movement of humanitarian workers. With the road reopening yesterday, humanitarian groups have been able to resume their operations in the area.
In Ituri province, local sources report that the situation in the town of Fataki remains highly volatile three days after fierce clashes in the area subsided.
In Tanganyika Province, two local humanitarian workers were attacked and robbed while conducting a food security assessment in Kalemie Territory on 24 March, according to local humanitarian sources.
The attack illustrates the very high risk aid workers face in DRC. Since conflict escalated in the east in January, at least 11 humanitarian workers have been killed – more than in all of 2024.
OCHA is also concerned about the accelerating spread of cholera cases in eastern DRC, with outbreaks now declared in four provinces: North Kivu, South Kivu, Tanganyika and Maniema.
Humanitarian partners are responding with treatment and outreach campaigns, but medical items, protective equipment and sanitation facilities are in short supply.
The outbreak appears to be worsening in Maniema province, where heath authorities are reporting a case fatality rate of 13 per cent – well above the 2 per cent emergency threshold. Maniema is already under strain as thousands of displaced people have arrived since January, fleeing violence in North and South Kivu.
#Sudan
UN delivers food to Khartoum, amid ongoing threats to civilians
OCHA has grave concerns about the escalating risks civilians face in parts of the capital Khartoum, Sudan, following the latest shifts in control in the city.
The UN continues to receive alarming reports of reprisals by armed actors against civilians, a threat compounded by the circulation of unsubstantiated accusations on social media.
The UN reiterates that civilians are not a target and that all parties must adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Serious violations must be investigated, with perpetrators held to account.
Amid shifting front lines, the UN and its humanitarian partners are seizing every opportunity to reach people in need with vital support.
Today, the World Food Programme (WFP) says that 1,200 metric tons of food and nutrition assistance are being distributed to 100,000 people in Bahri and Omdurman of Khartoum state. These are the first WFP aid trucks to get through to these specific areas within Khartoum since the conflict started.
#Haiti
Humanitarians support Port-au-Prince residents, despite violence and funding gaps
OCHA reports that the humanitarian situation in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, continues to deteriorate amid armed group violence.
The extremely volatile security situation is also hindering the work of humanitarian organizations, but the UN and its partners continue to provide aid to people in need as security and funding permits.
The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) reports that two safe spaces for women and girls remain open in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and mobile teams to support gender-based violence victims are being deployed to displacement sites. However, activities have been reduced in areas due to the ongoing violence.
The freeze of US funding, which previously accounted for 65 per cent of the country’s Humanitarian Response Plan, significantly impacts UNFPA’s ability to deliver critical services despite growing needs of women and girls exposed to increasing gender-based violence.
In 2024, OCHA estimates that 3 million people received at least one form of humanitarian assistance out of 3.6 million the UN and its partners were aiming to reach.
This year’s Humanitarian Response Plan requires more than US$900 million to support 3.9 million people – almost half of them women and children. Food security, protection and water and sanitation are among the most pressing needs, but the current plan is financed at 5 per cent at just $46 million.