Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Mozambique, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine
#Occupied Palestinian Territory
Ceasefire reaches 100-day mark, but aid still struggles to reach civilians
OCHA reports that the ceasefire agreement – which has crossed the 100-day mark – must hold so that more civilian lives can be saved. The scale-up of humanitarian work continues to be held back by restrictions and impediments, with recent harsh weather also setting back some of the progress.
In a statement issued today, the World Food Programme warned of how fragile the situation remains, even as the agency reaches more than one million people every month through food parcels, bread bundles, hot meals and school meals – making real progress in pushing back famine. WFP called for additional safe humanitarian corridors from Egypt and Jordan, and along the Salah Ad Din road inside Gaza, to increase volumes and reduce insecurity.
Yesterday, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and UNRWA launched the second round of a routine immunization catch-up campaign, together with humanitarian partners and in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. This round will run until next Thursday and aims to further protect children under three from vaccine-preventable diseases. The campaign is being delivered by 170 teams at nearly 130 health facilities, with seven mobile teams deployed to hard-to-reach areas. A third and final round is planned for April 2026.
In the West Bank, OCHA says Israeli forces have placed an estimated 25,000 Palestinians under curfew in parts of the Israeli-controlled H2 area of Hebron city, as they launched a large-scale operation today. Initial reports point to a heavy deployment of military vehicles and snipers on rooftops, as well as the closure of six internal roads.
As a result, four bakeries have been forced to suspend their operations, and two shops where about 4,000 people regularly obtain essential supplies through UN-issued vouchers remain closed. Education in more than a dozen schools has also been suspended, affecting thousands of students.
OCHA adds that the area has been affected by a major electricity cut since the weekend, following damage to a local power station. With the curfew now in place, efforts are underway to allow technicians into the area to restore electricity. Steps are also being taken to facilitate emergency medical evacuations and for students to attend school online where possible. Meanwhile, families are confined to their homes, making it difficult for them to access food, medicine and other essential supplies.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Gaza with urgent support.
#Mozambique
More than 500,000 people affected as floods batter Mozambique
OCHA reports that more than half a million people have been impacted by recent floods in southern and central provinces.
Heavy rains since mid-December have caused widespread flooding in the provinces of Gaza, Maputo and Sofala. Authorities report that more than 510,000 people have been affected so far, with major damage to health facilities and roads.
Nearly 5,000 kilometres of roads have sustained damage across nine provinces of Mozambique, with the main road connecting the capital Maputo to the rest of the country now inaccessible. Supply chains are significantly disrupted and authorities report the loss of more than 27,000 heads of livestock.
The Government is leading the response. On 17January, it formally requested UN support for search-and-rescue operations, preventative evacuations, damage assessment and the provision of temporary shelters.
Evacuations continue, and 50 temporary accommodation centres nationwide are hosting more than 50,000 people.
The UN and its partners are scaling up life-saving assistance, focusing on easing overcrowding in accommodation centres, particularly in Gaza Province, as assessments continue in hard-to-reach areas. Additional funding is urgently needed to sustain the humanitarian response.
Meanwhile, OCHA is engaging with countries across Southern Africa – including Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini – which are also experiencing severe flooding.
#South Sudan
UN warns of deepening humanitarian crisis as renewed fighting hits Jonglei
OCHA warns that an already dire humanitarian crisis – marked by food insecurity, disease outbreaks and the impact of catastrophic floods – is worsening following renewed fighting in Jonglei State over the past week.
Since late last month, more than 180,000 people – mostly women, children and older people – have been forced to flee their homes in Jonglei, according to the Government. Many have sought refuge in remote areas, while others have fled to neighbouring states.
As humanitarian needs continue to rise, already overstretched operations are under increasing strain. At least four health facilities have been looted, leaving more than 100,000 people without access to essential services.
Restrictions on movement by air, river and road in several areas have obstructed the delivery of life‑saving assistance.
While several humanitarian organizations have temporarily relocated staff, around 15 NGOs continue to be present.
The UN and our partners are engaging with local authorities to ensure the protection of civilians and aid workers, as well as to secure safe, unhindered humanitarian access to people in need.
In a statement issued over the weekend, the Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, Anita Kiki Gbeho, called for immediate protection of civilians and unhindered humanitarian access amid escalating violence in Jonglei State.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in South Sudan with urgent support.
#Syria
UN supports civilians as families continue to flee clashes, services disrupted across northern Syria
OCHA indicates that the UN and its partners continue to provide humanitarian aid following recent clashes in Aleppo, Raqqa and Deir-ez-Zor and Al Hassakeh governorates.
In Deir-ez-Zor city, public services have been suspended and key transport routes temporarily closed, cutting civilians off from education and healthcare.
In Ar-Raqqa city, damage to critical infrastructure has curtailed access between neighborhoods and disrupted the main water supply.
People continue to flee the cities of Ar-Raqqa and Tabqa, as well as Thawra town, towards Al-Hasakeh and Qamishli governorates.
Hundreds of families remain unable to leave Tabqa and are sheltering in public facilities.
Newly displaced families are facing harsh winter conditions, as well as acute shortages of food, shelter, tents and heating fuel.
The UN and its partners continue to respond where access permits and are providing trauma care, water and hygiene support, and psychosocial support.
Humanitarians are also conducting assessments to understand what people need and are continuing to call for sustained, safe humanitarian access.
#Ukraine
Energy facilities hit again amid sub‑zero temperatures
OCHA reports that over the weekend, attacks on energy infrastructure continued amid freezing temperatures.
Between 16 and 19 January, authorities reported at least nine civilians were killed and more than 50 injured across multiple regions, including Kharkiv, Dnipro, Chernihiv, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Sumy.
Strikes further damaged energy infrastructure, leading to widespread power outages, including in Russian-occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Nationwide scheduled power outages continue as temperatures have dropped to around –20°C.
In front-line areas, attacks have also drive more people from their homes. Between 16 and 19 January, more than 1,300 people – including 170 children – were evacuated from the Donetsk region.
The UN and its partners continue providing support – including hot meals, winter clothing, psychological help and other assistance at warm‑up tents – across Ukraine.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Ukraine with urgent support.