Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lebanon, Nigeria

#Occupied Palestinian Territory

Desperation deepens in Gaza as people risk safety in search of food

OCHA warns that the crisis in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels of despair, as people continue to go hungry across the Strip. Many are forced to risk their lives in search of food, amid further reports of people being killed and injured near non-UN distribution sites.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), just this morning, 29 casualties arrived at the ICRC field hospital in west Rafah, eight of whom were dead. Almost all had explosive trauma wounds, with two others admitted with gunshot wounds. The UN reiterates that civilians must always be protected. No person – anywhere – should be forced to choose between risking one’s life and feeding one’s family.

Fuel stocks in Gaza are critically low, putting further strain on critical services and humanitarian operations. Over the weekend, some 260,000 litres of fuel were looted in northern Gaza. Prior to this, the UN had repeatedly attempted to reach these stocks to retrieve them, but these attempts were denied by the Israeli authorities.

Since 15 May, the missions to retrieve this fuel were denied by the Israeli authorities 14 times. Humanitarians’ attempts to reach fuel supplies in Rafah, in the south of Gaza, also continue to be denied. The UN warns that unless a solution is found in the coming days, the entire aid operation could come to a standstill.

Since the Israeli authorities allowed limited amounts of aid to enter Gaza on 19 May, the UN and its partners have only been able to collect about 4,600 metric tons of wheat flour from the Kerem Shalom crossing. Most of it was taken by desperate, starving people before the supplies reached their destinations. In some cases, stocks were looted by armed gangs.

Attacks on humanitarian assets and personnel must never be tolerated. Israel, as the occupying power, bears responsibility with regards to public order and safety in Gaza. That should include letting in far more essential supplies, through multiple crossings and routes, to meet humanitarian needs and help reduce looting.

Partners working on food security in Gaza estimate that between 8,000 and 10,000 metric tons of wheat flour is required to reach all families across the Strip with at least a single bag of flour to ease the pressure on markets and reduce desperation – alongside other diverse food supplies. Beyond this, the sustained and unrestricted flow of aid into Gaza must resume as soon as possible.

Over the weekend, there were no missions to collect supplies from the Kerem Shalom crossing. The Israeli authorities announced that the crossing would remain closed on Friday and Saturday.

Humanitarians also continue to face major impediments that hamper their ability to conduct these operations. These impediments include unacceptably dangerous routes, a severe shortage of vetted drivers, and delays, with teams having to wait, often for hours, for military activities to pause – for their safety – and for a green light to be given by the Israeli authorities to proceed, as well as the understandable hesitancy of truck drivers to operate in the current volatile environment.

Today, the UN is leading a mission to deliver supplies that entered via Kerem Shalom to Gaza city.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners remain alarmed over the further deterioration of the healthcare system in Gaza, which is verging on complete collapse unless the situation improves urgently. Over the weekend, the Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator Suzanna Tkalec visited Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis -- alongside WHO and OCHA teams – to highlight the importance of continued access there and to other key facilities that are still partially functioning in Gaza. WHO and OCHA stressed that healthcare facilities must never be militarized and must always be protected.

Meanwhile in the West Bank, operations by Israeli forces in the north have continued over the past week, destroying roads and disrupting Palestinians’ access to essential services. The UN and its humanitarian partners continue to respond, including by providing water, sanitation and hygiene assistance to tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians in the northern West Bank.

#Lebanon

Extensive damage reported after strikes on southern Beirut

OCHA remains gravely concerned by the humanitarian impact that ongoing military activities in Lebanon are having on civilians, including in the wake of Israeli air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs late last Thursday, just ahead of Eid Al-Adha. Additional strikes were recorded in the southern village of Ain Qana that same night.

Thousands of residents from the densely populated neighbourhoods targeted by the Israeli air strikes on 5 June fled their homes following displacement orders. This marks the fourth such strike on Beirut since the cessation of hostilities came into effect in November 2024.

Civilians in Lebanon continue to be affected by Israeli military operations, exacerbating protection concerns, impeding the safe return of displaced people, hindering humanitarian access, and further driving needs. Along the Blue Line, hostilities have persisted on a near-daily basis, including artillery shelling, demolitions and air strikes, particularly in areas where the Israeli army maintains a military presence and has erected physical barricades and warning signage.

Preliminary official assessments by the Beirut Area Reconstruction Committee indicate extensive damage from the air strikes, including to a school for people with disabilities. Nine residential buildings were destroyed, while more than 70 sustained partial damage. Some 115 housing units were destroyed, reportedly resulting in the displacement of about 300 families, who have been hosted by relatives. Additionally, nearly 180 commercial establishments and more than 870 residential units were affected, as well as approximately 50 vehicles.

Continued military operations by Israel in Lebanon remain a driver of humanitarian needs, particularly in the South. The International Organization for Migration reports that more than 82,000 people remain displaced across the country, while over 981,000 have returned to their communities of origin.

#Nigeria

UN Relief Chief fast-tracks funding to fight malnutrition

Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher has released US$6 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to address the worst malnutrition crisis to hit north-east Nigeria in five years.

“We need to get food to those in urgent need and get systems in place to reduce risk of future crisis,” Fletcher said in a social media post today.

OCHA is deeply concerned about the impact of escalating food insecurity in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states – in the north-east of the country – during the lean season between June and August.

This year, 1 million children under 5 in these areas are at risk of severe acute malnutrition, which is double last year’s figure and the highest number in at least five years.

The new funding from CERF will help partners meet the most urgent nutrition and health needs of vulnerable people in north-east Nigeria, particularly women and children.*

It comes at a critical time, as brutal funding cuts by key donors disrupt humanitarian response efforts. In Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, these cuts mean that humanitarians no longer have the capacity to prevent a further worsening of the situation.

Just over a month ago, the UN and the Government of Nigeria launched a multisectoral plan for the lean season that seeks $160 million to 2 million people with life-saving assistance.

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