Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Niger, South Sudan, Syria
#Occupied Palestinian Territory
UN expands assistance as hundreds of thousands of people need support
OCHA warns that despite ongoing efforts to deliver aid and expand services, the situation remains dire for hundreds of thousands of families in need.
Over the weekend, another child death from hypothermia was reported, bringing the total number of deaths related to the cold weather to 10, as reported by the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
Following the launch of the catch-up vaccination campaign last week to protect children under three from vaccine-preventable diseases, health partners have vaccinated more than 6,000 children across the Strip as of today.
On the food security front, the UN and its partners are providing bread to at least 43 per cent of the population across the Gaza Strip every day. The bread is free or sold at a significantly subsidized price of less than US$1 per two-kilogramme bundle. This is on top of the monthly household-level distributions of wheat flour. So far this month, partners have reached 1.2 million people with flour as part of the standard monthly food assistance package.
In terms of shelter support, over the past week, the UN and its humanitarian partners reached over 7,500 families with tents, tarpaulins, sealing-off kits, mattresses and blankets. In addition, child protection partners delivered winter clothes to some 1,400 children across the Strip.
Over one million people still require urgent shelter support, and sustainable solutions are needed to meet these needs, including tool kits to repair people’s homes, materials to create communal heating spaces, as well as equipment to remove debris and rubble to clear land for housing.
Since Wednesday, humanitarian partners leading on protection have reached over 2,300 families with cash vouchers and in-kind winterization support. They have also provided mental health and psychosocial support and case management assistance to hundreds of people.
In the West Bank, in a report issued on Friday, global protection partners warned that excessive use of force by Israeli forces has led to exceptionally high rates of death and injury among Palestinian men and boys. The report highlighted the urgent need for a strong, protection-focused response, and called for the release of arbitrarily detained Palestinians.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Gaza with urgent support.
#Niger
UN releases $5 million to prepare for floods
The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has allocated $5 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund to help people prepare ahead of severe flooding that is expected to hit parts of the country.
The new funds, released as part of anticipatory action efforts, will allow the humanitarian community to support the Nigerien Government improve early warning systems, and get shelter and mobile medical centres in place in areas most likely to be hit.
#South Sudan
Uptick in violence in Jonglei hampers civilians’ access to aid
OCHA reports that the humanitarian situation in Jonglei State is rapidly deteriorating due to escalating conflict, which is forcing people to flee their homes and is shrinking access for aid workers.
Since the end of December, renewed clashes in Jonglei have displaced more than 230,000 people.
Families forced to flee their home are reportedly sheltering in the open, under trees and in makeshift structures without the food, health services or protection they need. Most of these families are relying on already overstretched host communities.
Many health facilities have been looted or vandalized, resulting in some 115,000 people having lost access to basic health care.
According to health authorities, cholera cases are rapidly on the rise in Duk County, with 938 cases and 29 deaths reported as of 25 January. This is partly due to overcrowding in areas where displaced families are seeking shelter and shortages of safe water, sanitation and health services.
On 25 January, Government forces ordered all civilians and personnel from the UN and all other humanitarian organizations to evacuate the counties Nyirol, Uror and Akobo within 48 hours ahead of a military operation.
Flight restrictions have cut off humanitarian air access, halting medical evacuations and delaying the delivery of life-saving assistance. Some humanitarian partners have relocated their staff.
The UN and its partners will scale up assistance in safer areas. The authorities have reiterated their commitment to address bureaucratic impediments.
The UN calls on all parties to facilitate unhindered access to all people in need at all times.
#Syria
UN delivers aid in northeast in wake of fighting
OCHA reports that the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to support the response in the northeast of the country following recent clashes.
According to humanitarian partners, more than 170,000 people have now been displaced since 6 January across the governorates of Aleppo, Al-Hasakeh and Ar-Raqqa governorates.
Several displacement sites continue to be overcrowded. In Al-Hasakeh governorate, the situation remains volatile, with reports of families moving from southern Al-Hasakeh city toward the town of Shaddadi.
Despite these challenges, the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to support the response.
OCHA indicates that today, another inter-agency humanitarian from the city of Damascus reached the city of Qamishli in Al-Hasakeh governorate. It delivered food, warm clothes and blankets, among other supplies. More convoys are planned in the coming days.
The UN and its partners also continue to distribute food, bread, and cash across collective centres and displacement sites.
Health partners are providing mobile health services, including vaccinations and mental healthcare.
Partners working in nutrition have also reached more than 1,500 children and hundreds of pregnant and lactating women in Al-Hasakeh governorate with malnutrition screening and nutrition support.
Meanwhile, OCHA reports that another major winter storm struck several governorates across the country last week, including areas still reeling from a snowstorm on 31 December. More than 1,700 tents in displacement sites have been damaged across Aleppo and Idleb governorates.
Across the coast, major mountain routes remain closed, cutting off communities in the cities of Lattakia and Tartous. In Hama and Homs, flooding and road closures continue to restrict access to affected areas.
Since October last year, humanitarian partners have provided winter assistance – including blankets, warm clothes and heating supplies – to nearly 450,000 people.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Syria with urgent support.