Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Lebanon, Mozambique

#Occupied Palestinian Territory

OCHA warns that the very means of people’s survival are being dismantled in the Gaza Strip. This includes an onslaught on health care, emergency services and humanitarian access alongside relentless attacks that kill and maim civilians by the hour.

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, said in a social media post that Kamal Adwan Hospital of North Gaza is now out of service. He said that this follows the raid, forced patient and staff evacuation and the detention of the facility’s director on Friday.

Yesterday, OCHA, WHO, the World Food Programme, Palestine Red Crescent Society and the UN Department for Safety and Security delivered basic medical and hygiene supplies, food and water to critical patients, caregivers and staff who were evacuated from Kamal Adwan to the Indonesian hospital in North Gaza that is non-functional.

Ten patients were evacuated from the hospital, four of whom were arrested by Israeli forces at the checkpoint leaving the area. Seven patients along with 15 caregivers and health workers remain at the facility, which is severely damaged and has no ability to provide medical care. The team reported that the hospital has no water, electricity or sanitation. This hospital stood empty last Tuesday, following a reported Israeli raid.

Dr. Ghebreyesus further said today that, once again, hospitals have become battlegrounds and the health system is under severe threat. He reported attacks on Al-Ahli and Al-Wafa Hospitals in Gaza city, both of which were damaged, and called to stop attacks on hospitals, and to secure access to health care. 

Yesterday’s mission to North Gaza was exceptional because most of the attempts – over 150 since October – have been denied by the Israeli authorities. Even the few that were initially agreed to have faced heavy impediments.

Between Friday and Sunday, three of four attempts to access the area were denied by Israeli authorities. Only this one was let through but faced major impediments. OCHA emphasizes that it should not require breaking a siege to help survivors in critical need. Aid workers must be granted safe and unhindered access to assist people wherever they are.

OCHA stresses that humanitarian access remains systematically hindered across the Gaza Strip. In the past three days, over 60 per cent of the 42 UN-coordinated movements were denied, interfered with or impeded on the ground.

Armed looting also continues. Two incidents recorded over the past three days in southern Gaza have affected dozens of truckloads of supplies and further exposed drivers to serious risks. Meanwhile, fighting and Israeli restrictions on commercial and other imports also persist. These continue to dangerously paralyze the humanitarian operation at a time when families urgently need more food, shelter materials, and clothing to survive the bad weather.

#Syria

Over the past week, hostilities and insecurity continued to persist across Syria, including in Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Lattakia, Tartous, Rural Damascus, Deir-ez-Zor and Quneitra governorates, resulting in civilian casualties.

Due to the tense security situation, humanitarian operations remain suspended in areas of Aleppo, Tartous, Lattakia and Deir-ez-Zor governorates.

On 27 December, hostilities were reported near Al-Bogeleyyah village in Deir-ez-Zor, approximately one km from UN offices, affecting a water station in Theban village.

In the south, Israeli incursions continued to affect Quneitra governorate. On 25 December, at least six civilians, including three children, were reportedly injured when Israeli forces opened fire at demonstrators in Al-Suweisah and Big Duawaya towns. During the incursion, Israeli forces reportedly imposed a curfew and demanded residents evacuate the area.

In Aleppo, repairs to the Tishreen Dam, which remains non-operational, are ongoing. The dam was damaged on 10 December, depriving at least 413,000 people in Menbij and Kobani of water and electricity for 20 consecutive days.

In north-east Syria, over 25,000 people remain in 183 emergency collective centres, a decrease from 40,000 people reported one week ago. Additionally, 115 collective centres have been reported as closed. Collective centres in north-east Syria continue to lack essential facilities and privacy, with reports of internally displaced people living in congested rooms with poor hygiene and sanitation as well as limited water supply and electricity. Broken bathroom locks have made many women feel unsafe.

On response, OCHA reports across Syria, more than 1.7 million received bread assistance in one month, as of 29 December. A total of 265,109 people were provided with other food assistance, including ready-to-eat rations, hot and fresh meals, and food baskets.

In Idleb and northern Aleppo, WHO coordinated the EU Humanitarian Air Bridge, delivering 50 tons of life-saving medical supplies, including trauma surgery kits and essential medicines, to support primary healthcare centres and hospitals in critical need.

While schools have reopened across most governorates, the volatile security situation continues to affect children’s school attendance in rural Hama, rural Quneitra, Lattakia, and Tartous. Schools remain closed in Manbij city in Aleppo governorate since violent clashes erupted in the area between 8 and 11 December. In north-west Syria, efforts are ongoing to rehabilitate schools and install temporary learning spaces to provide a safe and conducive learning environment for up to 11,000 children. Over 10,000 children were also supported with winterization packages comprised of winter clothes as well as fuel and heaters for schools.

Meanwhile partners are conducting rapid needs assessments across various governorates, including Aleppo, Idleb, Hama, Homs, Damascus, and Rural Damascus. In Deir-ez-Zor, Mayadeen, and Tabni, the UN Development Programme has successfully removed over 4,000 tons of solid waste and 5,000 tons of debris, creating 370 emergency jobs in the process.

#Lebanon

OCHA says that the UN and partners continue to provide critical support across Lebanon as displaced people are returning to their homes.

Since the cessation of hostilities was announced on 27 November, over 800,000 people have returned to their areas of origin, according to the International Organization for Migration. More than 160,000 people remain displaced, while the situation remains fluid. 

Severe challenges persist due to devastated infrastructure, disrupted essential services and ongoing security concerns. In many cases, families attempting to return remain internally displaced within or near their communities as their homes have been destroyed or severely damaged.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reports continued cross-border movements. As of today, 30 December, an estimated 90,000 people — primarily Syrians and including 20,000 Lebanese nationals — have arrived in the Hermel district of Lebanon where they stay in 175 collective shelters.

Violations of the cessation of hostilities continue to be reported. For instance, on 26 December, an incursion by the Israeli Army into Wadi al-Hujair temporarily displaced several households to nearby villages.

Additionally, more than 60 villages in southern Lebanon remain in areas where the Israeli Army is warning residents not to return. Restrictions on free and safe movement exacerbate the hardships faced by displaced families, limiting their access to essential services, livelihoods, and support networks.

Humanitarian partners in Lebanon face significant resource constraints. With needs remaining high and available resources falling short, the capacity to respond is increasingly stretched. The Lebanon Flash Appeal is 78 per cent funded of the US$426 million requested.

#Mozambique

OCHA says that yesterday, the UN had to put its emergency response activities in Mozambique on hold for 72 hours, due to the deteriorating security situation following incidents of increased violence in the Nampula Province and the southern districts of Cabo Delgado.

This could leave communities severely affected by Cyclone Chido without immediate and necessary humanitarian aid.

In Cabo Delgado, more than 272,000 people affected by Tropical Cyclone Chido urgently require humanitarian assistance, while over 175,000 others were affected in Nampula Province. Additionally, 1.1 million people remain in urgent need of humanitarian assistance due to the ongoing conflict in Cabo Delgado province.