Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, Haiti, Ukraine
#Occupied Palestinian Territory
Hostilities cause further casualties as supplies dwindle in Gaza
OCHA warns that the situation in the Gaza Strip is growing more dire by the day. Despite all odds, the UN and its partners are committed to staying and delivering to help alleviate the suffering of people exhausted by many months of fighting.
Attacks on schools sheltering displaced people continue to be reported, leading to casualties. Yesterday in Deir al Balah, a UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) school in Al Bureij camp was hit twice in several hours, with dozens of people reportedly killed, including women and children. Another school in Gaza city sheltering displaced people was also struck yesterday, with reports that 20 people were killed.
Across Gaza, community kitchens serving hot meals continue to shut down, as they use up their last remaining supplies. As of yesterday, one in every three community kitchens supported by the UN and its partners in Gaza has had to close, which is more than 60 kitchens closed out of nearly 180 in just days. Humanitarians on the ground report that adults are prioritizing their children over themselves when they do manage to find some sustenance.
Partners working to prevent malnutrition report that there are no more malnutrition prevention supplements left in stock in Gaza. While some malnutrition treatment stocks remain, these will also be depleted soon unless the crossings reopen for the entry of cargo.
On education, partners have been analyzing satellite imagery to determine the extent of damage to school structures across Gaza. Their initial results indicate that over 95 per cent of school buildings have sustained some level of damage.
Meanwhile, the water, sanitation and hygiene situation is increasingly bleak. A new report by partners found that last month, 90 per cent of families they assessed were facing water insecurity, forcing difficult choices between essential needs such as cooking and washing their hands. Over three quarters of families reported a worsening water situation, amid a decrease in both water quantity and water collection points, and as displacement orders drive a growing number of people to seek shelter at overcrowded sites.
OCHA warns that the full blockade, now in its third month, has put the lives of 2.1 million people in Gaza at risk. It must end before the situation deteriorates any further. OCHA stresses the need for the Israeli authorities to facilitate principled humanitarian operations.
The UN and its partners stand ready to distribute assistance at scale as soon as the crossings reopen for the entry of cargo. More than 240,000 metric tons of supplies are ready to be dispatched from warehouses outside Gaza. This is in addition to the large quantities of supplies already waiting at the crossings themselves to enter the Strip.
OCHA also stresses the need for Israeli authorities to facilitate humanitarian movements inside Gaza. Today, they denied three quarters of the UN's requests – six out of eight. Half of the denied requests were to retrieve critical supplies from militarized areas.
#Sudan
UN Relief Chief urges protection of civilians, critical infrastructure after Port Sudan strikes
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, expressed deep concern today over the ongoing drone strikes in Port Sudan, which is a hub for humanitarian operations and key entry point for aid.
In a social media post, Fletcher stressed that international humanitarian law must be respected and that constant care must be taken to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Flights of the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) to and from Port Sudan have been suspended since 4 May. The World Food Programme, which manages UNHAS, says it will resume air operations as soon as conditions allow. These disruptions are impacting the movement of humanitarian personnel into Sudan and onward to other parts of the country, further straining the delivery of urgently needed assistance.
Meanwhile, OCHA reports that drone attacks have also affected the states of Kassala and River Nile. Earlier this week in Kassala, strikes near the airport displaced about 2,900 people and led to the temporary suspension or relocation of some aid activities.
River Nile State is still facing a power blackout following a drone strike on the transformer station in Atbara on 25 April. The outage is contributing to growing fuel and bread shortages and long queues at petrol stations and bakeries.
#Haiti
UN, partners support displaced communities in Artibonite, Centre departments
OCHA is mobilizing assistance for people in Haiti displaced by deadly violence in the Artibonite Department late last month. Yesterday, OCHA led a humanitarian mission there to assess needs and coordinate response efforts.
The International Organization for Migration reports that nearly 13,000 people were forced to flee their homes due to armed attacks in the commune of Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite. Dozens of people were reportedly killed, and scores of homes were damaged. Most displaced people are sheltering with host families, while others are staying at displacement sites, including nearly a dozen that have opened in response to the crisis. However, ongoing insecurity forced four other sites – hosting nearly 500 people – to close.
Armed groups have also reportedly attacked police installations and damaged agricultural infrastructure, severely disrupting people’s livelihoods.
Meanwhile, OCHA is leading efforts to coordinate the humanitarian response in Haiti’s Centre Department, where displaced people urgently need shelter, food, water, healthcare and education assistance. Psychosocial support and protection services are also lacking, particularly for women and children.
An inter-agency mission in late April found that more than 51,000 people remain displaced across 10 communes in Centre Department. While initial distributions have reached some areas, thousands of displaced people staying with host families remain without support.
Insecurity and severe funding shortfalls continue to hamper access and response efforts, particularly in southern areas, including Lascahobas, Belladère, Savanette and Boucan-Carré. Security incidents have been reported along two national roads that are vital arteries for aid delivery.
OCHA is engaging with all parties to ensure safe and sustained access for humanitarians to reach people in need in Haiti, wherever they are.*
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Haiti with urgent support.
#Ukraine
Humanitarians provide emergency assistance after latest hostilities
OCHA reports that airstrikes yesterday and today resulted in further civilian casualties across Ukraine.
The latest attacks in the cities of Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv killed six civilians and injured nearly 30 others – including 10 children – and damaged homes, according to local authorities.
Nearly 40 additional casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure were reported in front-line regions. The hostilities there damaged multiple residential buildings, electricity networks and agricultural assets. Police in the Donetsk region report that more than 90 residential buildings were damaged.
After the overnight attacks, aid organizations provided emergency support and set up response centres to complement the efforts of first responders and local authorities. They deployed emergency teams to the affected sites to assess people’s needs, delivered emergency shelter materials, provided psychological support, and offered legal counselling to affected families. Several local NGOs are registering affected people for cash assistance.
Aid organizations and local authorities also continued to support evacuees from border communities at the transit centre in Sumy City. Nearly 500 residents were evacuated from the border area in just the last day. The transit centre provides temporary shelter for new arrivals, as well as food, hygiene products and other necessities – in addition to administrative, social, medical and psychological support.