Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Sudan, Mozambique
#Occupied Palestinian Territory
Ongoing halt to Gaza aid entry disrupts response efforts
OCHA warns that the cargo closure affecting the Gaza Strip imposed by Israeli authorities over the past 10 days is already reversing progress made during the first six weeks of the ceasefire.
OCHA reports that the Kerem Shalom crossing also remains closed for the collection of cargo for the tenth straight day. This is cargo that had entered Gaza prior to the closure which we have been unable to access.
OCHA says fuel for backup generators at water and health facilities is running low, cooking gas prices are rising, and distributions of flour, fresh produce and shelter materials have been disrupted.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi, said that a sustained supply of aid is indispensable for the survival of over 2 million Palestinians who have endured unimaginable conditions for many months.
He stressed that the ceasefire must hold; the parties must fulfil their obligations under international law; hostages must be released; and humanitarian assistance must be allowed in.
Despite the challenges, the UN and its partners in Gaza are using every opportunity provided by the ceasefire to deliver aid with the stocks available.
This past week, UNICEF delivered baby kits to hospitals in northern Gaza to help protect newborns from cold injuries and hypothermia. UNICEF is also providing CPAP devices to hospitals, giving vulnerable newborns a fighting chance.
Since the ceasefire took effect, and as of 6 March, the Food and Agriculture Organization has delivered over 1,000 tons of animal feed concentrate – helping to protect remaining livestock, restore food production, and reduce families’ dependence on external food aid.
In the West Bank, OCHA reports that Israeli forces continue their operations in the north, with further casualties, destruction and displacement in recent days.
The UN and its partners are addressing people’s needs by providing food and water, as well as hygiene and bedding kits for those displaced.
#Syria
Humanitarians working to reach people affected by latest violence
OCHA remains concerned about the effect of the recent violence in coastal areas of Syria.
Power outages continue to disrupt water services in Latakia Governorate, and schools in Latakia and Tartous have been suspended.
The UN and its partners continue to try to mobilize assistance for people in need, including for those displaced by the recent violence.
Meanwhile, UN deliveries of cross-border assistance from Türkiye into north-west Syria are continuing.
Today, 31 trucks from the World Food Programme, the International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency crossed Bab al-Hawa from Türkiye to Syria, delivering more than 600 metric tons of aid supplies, including food, shelter repair and hygiene kits.
#Sudan
Violence drives healthcare crisis in El Fasher
OCHA warns that partners in North Darfur, Sudan, are reporting an extremely dire health situation, particularly in the state capital El Fasher and displacement camps in surrounding areas.
Continued hostilities have caused waves of displacement, overwhelming an already fragile healthcare system that is struggling to meet even people’s basic needs.
More than 200 health facilities in El Fasher are not functioning, and there are severe shortages of medical staff, essential medicines and life-saving supplies.
Humanitarian partners have been trying to provide medical supplies, but their efforts to deliver continue to be impeded by insecurity and access constraints.
OCHA appeals once again for the parties to the conflict to ensure safe, sustained and timely humanitarian access to reach people in need of life-saving support. Civilians must be protected, and the essential needs for their survival must be met.
Across conflict-affected areas in Sudan, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that over 70 per cent of hospitals and health facilities are no longer operational, leaving millions without healthcare.
Sudan’s health system has also come under relentless attack. As of mid-February, WHO recorded nearly 150 attacks on health care in Sudan since the war there began – but the real figure could be far higher.
#Mozambique
UN mobilized as Tropical Cyclone Jude hits Mozambique
OCHA says that Tropical Cyclone Jude – the third such storm to hit Mozambique in less than three months – made landfall yesterday in Nampula province in the north, with winds of 140 kilometers per hour.
According to authorities, at least 780,000 people could be affected by high winds and torrential rains in the provinces of Nampula and Zambezia.
As part of the UN-backed Anticipatory Action Framework, the Central Emergency Response Fund rapidly released US$6 million three days before the latest cyclone made landfall.
These funds are being used to ensure communities are made aware of the emergency, as well as to support temporary accommodations centers and provide emergency supplies.
The Government is leading the response, with OCHA having deployed two staff members to Nampula on Sunday to support authorities and our partners to coordinate the humanitarian response.
OCHA warns that aid stocks have not been replenished following the humanitarian responses to cyclones Chido and Dikeledi, which impacted nearly 700,000 people. The $134 million Flash Appeals for the two cyclones are less than 1 percent funded, with $1 million received.