Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, Haiti
#Occupied Palestinian Territory
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, visited a UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) run shelter for internally displaced people in central Gaza, today before heading to Jerusalem via the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Fletcher met with displaced families, who spoke of the hardships they have endured over the past 16 months. He also heard from staff managing the shelter about the ongoing response and challenges they face in providing critical support.
The UNRWA site is one of the many schools in Gaza that were turned into shelters for displaced families. Fletcher met children who are missing out on their education, stressing the need to re-open schools in Gaza as soon as possible.
In Jerusalem, the Under-Secretary-General met with heads of UN aid agencies and other humanitarian organizations. They discussed ways to sustain the humanitarian scale-up in Gaza as well as continue critical support across the West Bank.
Meanwhile, OCHA reports that partners continue to work around the clock to meet the immense needs of Palestinians in Gaza.
In a social media post, the World Health Organization (WHO) said its team supported the medical evacuation of 178 patients this month, including 115 children, from Gaza via the Rafah crossing. A total of 233 companions traveled with the patients to receive specialized care in Egypt.
WHO notes that between 12,000 and 14,000 people still require medical evacuation from Gaza.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) says it has sent more than 15,000 tonnes of food into the Gaza Strip since the start of the ceasefire, reaching more than 525,000 people with food parcels, hot meals and cash.
With flour and fuel, WFP is now operating 22 bakeries across Gaza and is providing cash so that families can decide for themselves how to meet their most basic needs beyond food.
UNICEF reports that since the ceasefire took effect, the agency has reached more than 10,000 infants across Gaza with ready-to-use complementary foods to improve their dietary diversity.
This week, partners working on shelter have been assessing the impact of a winter storm on shelters in different locations. In northern Gaza, partners are also preparing to distribute 1,500 tents to returnees in Gaza and the North Gaza governorates.
Although shelter support is scaling up, partners note that nearly 1 million displaced Palestinians are living in substandard tents or makeshift shelters, with families resorting to sewing old rice sacks together for basic cover. Many more are living in crowded shelters in unsafe conditions.
In the West Bank, OCHA reports that Israeli forces’ ongoing operations in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas continue to displace Palestinians, severely restricting their access to essential services and causing widespread destruction.
Humanitarian partners estimate that 82 per cent of displaced families in the northern West Bank are currently living in rented accommodations.
These families urgently need cash assistance for rent costs, as well as bedding, kitchen supplies and dignity kits. The UN and its partners are working to mobilize support as quickly as possible.
In Tubas, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said yesterday that it managed to distribute food to residents in Al-Fara’ camp, which has been under a curfew for the fifth consecutive day.
#Democratic Republic of the Congo
OCHA reports that continued clashes in South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are triggering mass displacement of people and causing civilian casualties.
Yesterday, a bombing injured three civilians and damaged power infrastructure in the town of Nyabibwe, about 60 km north of the provincial capital, Bukavu, according to local humanitarian partners.
OCHA says that thousands of people are now on the move in South Kivu, with many fleeing active combat zones towards Bukavu.
Meanwhile, in North Kivu, three non-governmental organization (NGO) workers were killed on Wednesday under unclear circumstances. This incident is a reminder of the unacceptable risks faced by aid workers. The NGO has had to suspend food and agriculture assistance in the area, affecting 36,000 people.
Elsewhere in North Kivu, OCHA and humanitarian partners continue to assess conditions in and around Goma, where hundreds of thousands of people are still on the move.
An assessment this week estimates nearly 33,000 people have returned to villages in Nyiragongo Territory, immediately north-east of Goma.
Meanwhile, WHO says that health facilities in North Kivu have been affected by recent violence; many are destroyed while others struggle to restart operations. Cancer, diabetes, hypertension, mental health, and other routine services are also affected as medicines have run out and health workers are either absent or overburdened.
WHO warns that the threat of infectious diseases has multiplied, with cholera, malaria, measles, meningitis, mpox, and tuberculosis are among the major concerns. The water supply disruptions in Goma – partially restored in some areas – have forced people to rely on lake water, heightening the risk of cholera. Between 1 and 27 January, nearly 600 suspected cases of cholera and 14 deaths were reported in North Kivu.
WHO has deployed emergency medical supplies, hygiene and water treatment supplies, and tents to increase hospital capacity by 1,000 beds. Supplies are being depleted rapidly, and more resources are urgently needed.
#Syria
OCHA reports that the UN and its partners continue to deliver critical cross-border assistance in Syria from Türkiye.
This week, 19 trucks crossed into north-west Syria carrying nearly 300 tons of food aid from the WFP for 90,000 people, as well as medical supplies from the World Health Organization and education kits from UNICEF to reach 450,000 people.
OCHA welcomes the extension by the caretaker authorities for the UN to deliver humanitarian assistance through the Bab al-Hawa crossing for an additional six months, until August 7th of this year.
Bab Al-Hawa remains the most-used border crossing into Syria due to its direct route to Idleb, where 2.8 million people are in need of humanitarian aid, with over half living in displacement camps. The cross-border operation also enables regular UN missions to north-west Syria to support and monitor projects and services in Idleb and Aleppo, ensuring that critical aid gets to the people it needs to reach.
Meanwhile, hostilities continue to affect the north-east of the country, with incidents reported this week in eastern Aleppo, in the vicinity of the Tishreen Dam, as well as Al-Hasakeh and Ar-Raqqa governorates.
#Haiti
OCHA reports that gender-based violence affected thousands of people across Haiti last year.
Partners reported nearly 6,500 incidents, with actual figures likely much higher. Nearly two-thirds related to cases of rape and sexual assault.
In December, more than 630 incidents were recorded – a 38 per cent increase compared to the combined total recorded in October and November.
Almost two-thirds of cases are reported to have been perpetrated by members of armed groups.
Children have not been spared and UNICEF announced today a staggering 1,000 per cent rise in sexual violence against children between 2023 and 2024.