Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan

Displaced families in Deir al Balah receive hot meals at a community kitchen run by IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, a Turkish NGO in October 2025. Photo: OCHA/ Olga Cherevko.

#Occupied Palestinian Territory

Access constraints limit Gaza aid scale-up

OCHA says that as of this Monday, partners have reached some 670,000 people with the monthly general food assistance for February.

The ration size remains reduced at 50 per cent as the current stocks in the Strip are insufficient to sustain larger rations for the rest of the month.

In recent weeks, entry of humanitarian supplies from Egypt has remained critically low due to high rejection rates by Israeli authorities. Partners also continue to advocate for the resumption of the Government-to-Government direct convoy modality from Jordan to enable the delivery of larger volumes, including food supplies.

In parallel, as of mid-February, more than 20 partners produced and distributed over 1.7 million meals every day through 180 kitchens – over half a million meals in the north and 1.3 million meals in the south.

As mentioned yesterday, partners are aligning the timing of cooked meal preparations, and distributions, with Ramadan fasting hours. They have also added additional fresh produce and protein products.

On emergency shelter, between 11 and 17 February, humanitarian partners provided tents, tarpaulins, sealing-off kits, clothes, and other essential items to over 11,500 households in North Gaza, Deir al Balah and Khan Younis governorates.

Shelter agencies reiterate that these materials offer limited protection and deteriorate quickly and call for longer-lasting housing solutions to be let in.

OCHA and humanitarian partners reiterate that impediments must be lifted urgently to meet the massive humanitarian needs across Gaza.

#Sudan

Drone attacks kill civilians, OCHA urges Security Council to act on protection

The UN and humanitarian partners remain deeply concerned about the increase in civilian casualties due to drone attacks, particularly in the Kordofan region.

Yesterday, further attacks were reported in North Kordofan, West Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

Local sources reported a strike on an education centre near Ar Rahad town, in North Kordofan, killing four civilians and injuring four others.

In West Kordofan, a local rights group reported a drone attack on a water point in Um Rosum village, with women and children among the civilian casualties. UNICEF also confirmed that an attack Monday in West Kordofan killed 15 children.

In Blue Nile State, a civilian was reportedly killed and four others were injured, according to the Sudan Doctors Network.

OCHA reiterates its calls for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and for all parties to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law.

Earlier today, Edem Wosornu, the Director of OCHA’s Crisis Response Division, briefed the Security Council on Sudan, highlighting growing humanitarian needs across many parts of the country, and the spiraling impact on civilians, not least women and girls.

Wosornu called on the members of the Council to use their influence to press for adherence to international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians, and to ensure that humanitarians are able to do their work safely and without interference. Wosornu also urged the Council to work together to stop the fighting and chart a path towards peace.