Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria
#Occupied Palestinian Territory
OCHA reports that the UN and its humanitarian partners continue scaling up response in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. OCHA stresses once again that sustaining the ceasefire is crucial to keep this life-saving work going.
Today, 763 trucks entered Gaza, according to information obtained by the UN on the ground through interactions with the Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire deal.
The World Food Programme (WFP) says 25 WFP-supported bakeries are now operating across Gaza. Today, another bakery reopened in Rafah with WFP's support.
Earlier this week, WFP reopened a kitchen in Beit Lahiya that can produce 20,000 meals per day. In Rafah, the agency has opened a kitchen serving 1,500 meals each day.
WFP also notes that every week, dozens of kitchens are providing hundreds of thousands of hot meals to people across the Strip – in the north, WFP is working to further expand capacity.
The UN and its humanitarian partners also continue to provide shelter support to people across Gaza.
In southern Gaza, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said it planned to distribute hundreds of tents in Rafah today. Meanwhile, PRCS is working with international aid organizations and local groups in the north, to set up shelter sites and distribute hundreds of tents in Gaza and North Gaza governorates.
Today and tomorrow, shelter bedding kits are being distributed to some 400 families living in Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya and Jabalya in North Gaza governorate.
In central Gaza this week, a shelter partner distributed more than 400 sealing-off kits and mattresses for displaced families at a site in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis.
Meanwhile, OCHA continues receiving reports of Palestinian casualties in the northern areas of the West Bank due to the ongoing operations by Israeli forces. To date, 44 fatalities have been recorded since the start of those operations on 21 January.
Although the operation in Tubas ended yesterday, Israeli forces continue to operate in both Tulkarm and Jenin.
OCHA warns that thousands of Palestinians have been displaced amid these operations. Overall, 19,000 Palestinians have been displaced in Tulkarm, with 3,000 others displaced in Tubas. In Jenin, more than 17,000 people have been displaced; this number includes those displaced during a previous operation by Palestinian forces.
#Syria
OCHA reports that more than 825,000 people who were displaced within Syria have returned to their areas of origin since December.
Movements out of camps remain limited, with some 80,000 people departing from camps in north-west Syria since December and some 300 Syrians leaving the Areesha camp in the north-east on 11 February.
Nearly 2 million people remain displaced in the north-west, many living in overcrowded sites and frail tents. This includes more than 615,000 people who remain newly displaced across the country since fleeing their homes after 27 November. The majority are in Idleb and Aleppo.
The UN and its partners continue to provide assistance as conditions and funding allow, including winter aid to northern Syria, where the weather is particularly harsh at this time of the year.
Early recovery partners have provided emergency repairs of roads and sewage systems that were affected by past flooding in the north-west. Nine markets are currently being rehabilitated near displacement camps.
Since December, more than 260,000 children in Idleb and northern Aleppo have been supported with heaters, winter clothes, and other aid. Winter kits were also distributed to 500 children in Qamishli in Al-Hasakeh governorate.
During the same period, health partners have deployed mobile medical teams, provided mental health support and reinforced facilities with heating and insulation, reaching 800,000 people in north-west Syria.
Health partners are also warning of a significant rise in influenza-like illnesses and severe acute respiratory infections, which are further straining an underfunded health sector. More than 100 health facilities in north-west Syria are out of funds since the start of the year.
As of today, the UN has received less than 10 per cent of the US$1.2 billion needed to help 6.7 million Syrians through March.