Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Haiti, Sudan
#Occupied Palestinian Territory
Suspension of aid into Gaza poses food security risk
OCHA warns that the closure of Gaza’s crossings for cargo entry is having a serious impact on the UN and its partners’ ability to provide essential support to people in need. The longer this halt on aid into the Gaza Strip continues, the more dire the consequences on the ground.
Partners report having to reduce food rations in order to prioritize assistance for as many vulnerable people as possible. The food security situation could sharply deteriorate unless the flow of aid into Gaza resumes.
Meanwhile, partners implementing water, sanitation and hygiene programmes in Gaza say water trucking continues to ensure that people have access to clean water. On the sanitation front, partners report that access to the two main landfills, Sufa and Juhr Al Diek, remains limited.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that public health risks remain very high, including for communicable diseases, due to overcrowding and poor sanitation. As of the end of February, 24 out of 32 environmental samples collected tested positive for vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2.
Amid a critical shelter situation, the UN and its partners continue to distribute available items to people in need. These include mattresses, tarps, blankets and bedding kits. Teams are also carrying out assessments in the most vulnerable areas across Gaza to understand people’s shelter needs.
Efforts also continue to ensure that hundreds of thousands of children who have missed out on many months of school are able to resume learning. This includes work to assess whether school buildings used as shelters are suitable to host in-person learning. However, severe shortages of education supplies continue to hamper these preparations.
Meanwhile in the West Bank, WHO reports that recent military operations have caused damage to health facilities – 20 of which are not functioning – and other critical infrastructure, leading to water contamination with sewage and water shortages in some areas.
Due to insecurity and destruction, UNRWA health centres in Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps remain closed since the start of this year.
Since January, WHO has verified 54 attacks on health in the West Bank, resulting in four deaths and nine injuries.
Mobile clinics operated by health partners are providing services to 22 communities surrounding Jenin camp.
#Haiti
Tens of thousands displaced in and around Haiti’s capital in recent weeks
OCHA says that levels of displacement are reaching new highs amid escalating violence in Haiti.
According to the International Organization for Migration, in just three weeks – between 14 February and 5 March – more than 40,000 people were displaced in Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. This is the highest number of people uprooted that has been recorded in such a short period since 2021, when displacements due to gang violence started being tracked.
Humanitarian operations face major access challenges due to security risks and resource constraints.
OCHA warns that funding shortages are also leading to rapidly deteriorating conditions in displacement sites across Port-au-Prince.
An inter-agency mission, led by OCHA, visited the largest displacement site which is currently home to more than 6,000 people. It found that many families have been displaced three or four times, becoming increasingly vulnerable with each move. Some families have only a single change of clothes for their children.
The site, located in an administrative building, has just four functioning toilets, while other camps lack even basic latrines.
In addition to the dire living conditions, many of these sites are dangerously close to areas of active fighting. Last week, stray bullets hit a displacement camp, resulting in one person being killed and several others being injured, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced protection and immediate humanitarian support.
The US$908 million Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti is just over 5 per cent funded, with $46.5 million received so far.
#Sudan
Aid cuts paralyze community kitchens as famine devastates displacement camp in Sudan
OCHA says conditions in North Darfur, Sudan, continue to worsen, with alarming reports from Zamzam camp near the city of El Fasher.
The camp, where famine was confirmed last year, is estimated to be hosting some 500,000 displaced people.
Partners at Save the Children warned yesterday that severe food shortages have forced families to consume animal feed to survive. They say stocks of essential medicines and therapeutic foods have already run out, leading to rising levels of malnutrition. Medical supplies in the camp’s mobile clinics are also running out.
Zamzam residents have now endured seven months of famine, with the collapse of basic services making survival increasingly difficult. Meanwhile, recent heavy shelling and escalating violence have placed families at even greater risk and made humanitarian access nearly impossible.
OCHA calls once again for an immediate de-escalation so that civilians can reach the life-saving assistance they need. As local health authorities in Al Fasher have said, stopping the hostilities is the only real solution to addressing the region’s worsening health crisis.
OCHA reiterates the need for unimpeded access to those in need and additional resources to scale up response efforts.
Funding shortages are forcing the closure of community kitchens, which serve as a lifeline for millions across Sudan.
Mutual aid groups report that more than 70 per cent of the 1,400 community kitchens in Sudan have ceased operations due to lack of funds, including in areas facing famine.
Across many parts of the country, these groups provide food, basic health care and other critical support. Without them, hundreds of thousands of people are at increased risk of severe hunger. The budget required to sustain these kitchens and other essential front-line services provided at the community level is estimated at $12 million per month.
OCHA urges the international community to act now to prevent further disruptions to life-saving humanitarian support and curb the worsening food crisis in Sudan. The situation is urgent, and increased funding is critical to saving lives.