Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lebanon, Ukraine, West and Central Africa

Occupied Palestinian Territory

OCHA is deeply concerned about persistent reports of mounting casualties in Gaza, with the number of Palestinians reported killed and injured especially high in North Gaza Governorate, where the Israeli siege continues.

In a statement on Saturday, UNICEF said more than 50 children had reportedly been killed in Jabalya, in North Gaza, over the previous 48 hours alone, after strikes leveled two residential buildings sheltering hundreds of people.

The personal vehicle of a UNICEF staff member working on the polio vaccination campaign also came under fire while driving through Jabalya Elnazla. Fortunately, the staff member was not injured, but her car was damaged.

Meanwhile, OCHA reports that for the past month, Israeli authorities have only allowed humanitarian access to Jabalya, Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun on an exceptional basis, leaving us unable to confirm the conditions of people inside and worried for their safety.

OCHA warns that the already limited humanitarian supplies entering the Gaza Strip have dwindled even further since early October. Private imports are virtually banned, and Israeli authorities are only allowing the use of three entry points – Kerem Shalom, Gate 96 and Erez West.

Furthermore, humanitarian colleagues can only access these border areas via highly dangerous routes. The use of most roads leading to these entry points has either been banned by the Israeli authorities or rendered unsafe due to hostilities. The routes available are often in poor condition and prone to armed looting fueled by the breakdown in public order and safety.

OCHA notes that even supplies reaching the northern crossing at Erez West can only be sent to Gaza city, as requests to deliver them to besieged areas in North Gaza governorate are consistently rejected.

The World Food Programme (WFP) warns that as winter approaches, the lack of food and other vital humanitarian supplies entering the Gaza Strip could soon escalate into famine unless immediate action is taken. In October, WFP was only able to reach 42 per cent of the 1.1 million people targeted for food assistance in Gaza, with reduced rations due to dropping aid levels.

Lebanon

OCHA warns that the humanitarian situation in Lebanon has reached levels that exceed the severity of the 2006 war, amid escalating hostilities.

The health-care sector continues to face relentless attacks, with facilities, staff and resources increasingly caught in the crossfire – further straining Lebanon's already fragile health infrastructure.

Since October 2023, the World Health Organization says that 110 healthcare workers have been killed while on duty, 88 – or 80 per cent – of whom have been killed since 17 September of this year. There have been at least 60 attacks on health-care facilities over the past 13 months. 

Yesterday, 3 November, Israeli airstrikes near Tibnin Governmental Hospital in the Bint Jbeil district of the Nabatiyeh Governorate caused extensive damage to the hospital, injuring dozens of people. Additionally, a separate airstrike near Baalbek Governmental Hospital significantly damaged the facility.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian response continues despite the challenges and the volatile situation. On Saturday, a humanitarian convoy delivered food and hygiene kits to displaced people in collective shelters in the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate. A convoy delivered medical supplies to the Labweh Primary Clinic Medical Centre in the same governorate today.

Also today, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East delivered medical supplies and fuel for generators to the Burj Shimali Refugee Camp in Tyre district in the South Governorate. UNICEF also delivered emergency supplies to displaced people in Tyre, including water bottles, hygiene and dignity kits.

Ukraine

OCHA says that multiple attacks in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, have injured dozens of civilians and first responders since the start of November, according to authorities and partners on the ground. Multiple apartment buildings, shops and cafes have also been damaged.

Complementing the efforts of first responders, aid workers have provided first aid and psychological support and organized hot meals for those affected by the attacks. They have also delivered shelter materials, warm blankets and solar lamps.

Between 1 and 3 November, Ukrainian authorities have also reported nearly 100 civilian casualties in eastern, southern and north-eastern parts of the country, specifically in the regions of Kharkiv, Kherson, Donetsk, Dnipro and Sumy.

Humanitarian organizations have delivered repair materials at sites affected by the attacks. In the capital Kyiv and in the southern region of Kherson, several national and international aid organizations are working to provide multi-purpose cash assistance.

West and Central Africa

OCHA reports that the West and Central Africa region continues to experience catastrophic flooding, with more than 7 million people affected across 16 countries.

Chad, Niger, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are the most impacted countries, accounting for 80 per cent of all people affected. The floods are compounding existing challenges resulting from conflicts and previous natural disasters.

More than 1,500 people have died in the current floods, with nearly 1 million people having been displaced. The floods have also caused extensive damage to more than 620,000 homes, as well as hundreds of schools and health facilities.

OCHA also warns that women and girls face increased protection risks in overcrowded sites, while 10 million children have seen their educations disrupted. The situation is likely to worsen, particularly in Central Africa, where the rainy season continues until December. Urgent humanitarian assistance and long-term resilience-building solutions are critical.

The UN and humanitarian partners continue to support countries respond by providing food, clean water, cash assistance, shelter support and health-care services, but these efforts are severely limited by a lack of resources.

The Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator, Joyce Msuya, has allocated US$38.5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund for six countries – Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, DRC and Congo. This amount exceeds the total amount of CERF funding for responding to flooding over the past four years.