Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ukraine, Madagascar

Ahead of Cyclone Gezani's landfall in Madagascar, people likely to be affected by it, receive cash assistance from the World Food Programme (WFP) to prepare themselves. Photo: WFP

#Occupied Palestinian Territory

UN coordinates ten aid missions with Israel to reach Gazans in need

OCHA warns that airstrikes, shelling and gunfire continue across the Strip, exposing civilians, including aid workers and medical teams, to deadly risks.

The United Nations yesterday coordinated ten humanitarian missions with the Israeli authorities. The movements were to and from crossings and in or near other areas where Israeli forces remain deployed. These missions allowed our teams to collect incoming relief items such as food, vaccines, fuel and health supplies from the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings. They also supported the limited movement of people through the Rafah Crossing.

Humanitarian teams are on standby ready to further scale up humanitarian operations across all sectors. However, this requires the lifting of restrictions on our work. All humanitarian partners must be allowed to operate without obstruction and bring in critically needed supplies and equipment.

Also yesterday, the UN Development Programme began removing solid waste from the Firas Market dumping site in Gaza city. Partners leading on water and sanitation services report that teams are disposing of this waste in a temporary dumping site stretching over roughly 75,000 square metres and capable of receiving waste daily. This is part of efforts to improve environmental conditions in Gaza, and public health.

*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Gaza with urgent support.

#Ukraine

Overnight attacks across Ukraine result in dozens of civilian casualties

Overnight, another large-scale attack across Ukraine damaged critical energy infrastructure. The attack disrupted the electricity supply in Kyiv – both the city and the greater region – as well as in the regions of Dnipro, Kharkiv and Odesa regions.

In Kyiv and the cities of Kharkiv and Odesa, nearly 5,000 multi-story residential buildings have again been left without heating. In Odesa, the attacks also disrupted the water supply for approximately 300,000 residents.

The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, has condemned the continued attacks on energy infrastructure, stating that these constitute a direct assault on the civilian population and must cease immediately.

Over the past day, these attacks and hostilities have caused more than 50 civilian casualties, including children. The Kharkiv region was the most severely affected, with at least three people killed and 20 other injured, including two children.

In Odesa City, the office of a national humanitarian NGO sustained damaged. However, no staff members were injured. Despite the damage, the organization continues to operate and provide assistance.

Humanitarian partners are responding promptly to support affected families. In Odesa, they have distributed construction materials to repair damaged homes, provided hot meals, and registered residents for humanitarian cash assistance at the strike locations.

*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Ukraine with urgent support.

#Madagascar

Tropical Cyclone Gezani leaves dozens dead, thousands displaced

Tropical Cyclone Gezani made landfall in Madagascar yesterday, with devastating consequences across the eastern and central parts of the country.

According to local authorities, 31 people have died, 4 remain missing, and 35 have been injured.

Preliminary reports indicate that more than 250,000 people have been affected, with nearly 7,000 displaced. Over 65,000 homes have been flooded, damaged, or destroyed, and approximately 600 classrooms have been partially or completely rendered unusable.

The Government has called for international support and is leading search-and-rescue, evacuation, shelter, and food assistance efforts, including the distribution of 800 metric tons of rice, with support from the United Nations and partner organizations.

A contribution of $3 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund will assist over 90,000 people, while additional funding from other donors is supporting the initiation of early response activities.

According to OCHA, the cyclone could affect central and southern Mozambique in the coming days.