Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ukraine, Somalia, Viet Nam

#Occupied Palestinian Territory

OCHA reports that Palestinians already displaced in the Gaza Strip are at risk of having to move again as the rainy season approaches, bringing increased flooding and high tides.

OCHA says many of those displaced by hostilities in Gaza are sheltering along the Mediterranean coast, where Israeli-issued evacuation orders have instructed them to go.

Several municipalities in Gaza have warned of the risks, with some advising people sheltering in low-lying areas to leave and seek out safer places due to the danger of flooding. Displaced people in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah have been warned to move to higher ground and stay away from the shore, as high tides could cause their tents to drift, among other risks.

Aid workers from the UN and beyond are carrying out dedicated visits to displacement sites to identify flood risks. But, as we have said here before, we lack the safety and access necessary to bring in sufficient shelter materials to prepare for the rains.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East warns that people in Gaza are sheltering in open spaces with no sewage network or rainwater drainage systems. The agency says that as reptiles, rodents and insects spread, its teams are spraying pesticides and removing waste to protect families from diseases.

Meanwhile, OCHA reports that water, sanitation and hygiene operations in northern Gaza have been forced to drastically reduce their operating hours to prevent total shutdowns. Humanitarian partners working on the response say it continues to be extremely difficult to get fuel to the north, with deliveries often delayed or rejected at checkpoints by Israeli authorities.

In addition to fuel shortages and the ongoing electricity outages that stall pumps, the current water crisis in Gaza has been exacerbated by damage to water infrastructure, the absence of safety to make repairs, and a lack of spare parts and chlorine.

To address the critical lack of clean water in Gaza, UNICEF says it is providing 15 litres of water per person per day for nearly 900,000 people, ensuring that part of their water needs are met for a duration of three months.

Since October, the agency has provided water for more than 1.7 million people in Khan Younis, Rafah and central Gaza by procuring and distributing 4.75 million litres of bottled water and supporting local authorities with more than 3.4 million litres of fuel and more than 40 cubic metres of water treatment chemicals that partially restored water production and distribution from seawater desalination plants.

UNICEF has also installed four mobile water treatment plants in Khan Younis and Rafah, each able to produce five cubic metres of water per hour. Tankers then distribute the clean water to areas where displaced Palestinians are living, as fuel for vehicles is difficult to obtain, and children are often tasked with walking long distances to collect water for their families’ needs.

#Ukraine

OCHA reports that attacks continue to affect civilians and civilian infrastructure in front-line regions across Ukraine.

The Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions and Sumy City were affected. Local authorities say attacks there caused dozens of civilian casualties and damaged homes, schools and a hospital.

In Sumy City, in north-east Ukraine, a care facility for older people was affected, with one person killed and dozens injured. The authorities, with support from humanitarian workers, relocated a couple hundred residents of the facility – including people with limited mobility and some staff – to safer areas.  

As intense hostilities continue, the UN and humanitarian partners continue to provide support to impacted communities. In Kharkiv, they provided food and drinks to affected people and helped cover shattered windows.  

Over the past week, humanitarian partners also assisted 1,500 evacuees from the Donetsk Region and 1,000 from the Kharkiv Region at transit centres, providing hot meals, hygiene items, cash assistance, and medical, psychological and legal support.  

According to a new report released by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, between 22 March and 31 August this year, nine large-scale waves of attacks targeted the power system in 20 regions of Ukraine, damaging key energy infrastructure and causing widespread disruptions to electricity, water, heating and public services. This is particularly worrying as the winter season approaches.

#Somalia

The Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator, Joyce Msuya, has allocated US$3 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund for an urgent response to displacement in Somalia.

The funding will support the UN and partners’ work to address immediate needs, particularly food security, protection, and shelter for about 50,000 displaced people in conflict-affected areas of Galmudug and Jubaland states.

Since the beginning of this year, an estimated 150,000 people have been displaced by renewed clan conflict and ongoing military operations. This has intensified existing vulnerabilities and further exacerbated humanitarian needs.

The humanitarian community in Somalia is mobilized, but limited resources are hampering response efforts.

The 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for the country, which requires $1.6 billion to meet the needs of 5.2 million vulnerable people, is only 37 per cent funded, with $589 million received to date.

#Viet Nam

Typhoon Yagi, which struck Viet Nam on 7 September, caused widespread devastation. National authorities report more than 290 deaths and damage to 237,000 homes, with some three million people affected.

Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya has allocated $2 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to kickstart the humanitarian response in support of the Government's efforts.

The funding will go to the International Organization for Migration, the UN Development Programme and UNICEF to meet immediate life-saving needs in the most affected provinces of Yen Bai and Lao Cai.

The CERF-funded response will focus on emergency shelter and water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance focusing on communities with high levels of pre-existing vulnerabilities to meet the needs of the people most affected by this disaster.