Today's top news: Syria, Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, Tropical Cyclone Chido, Ukraine

#Syria
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher is in Syria as part of a one-week trip to the Middle East.
In Damascus, Fletcher met with the transitional authorities and will meet with UN partners to discuss the humanitarian response in Syria where 7 in 10 people continue to need humanitarian aid.
At a time of such rapid changes and long-standing needs in the region, Fletcher’s trip will also include stopovers in Lebanon, Türkiye and Jordan.
Meanwhile, OCHA reports that since the escalation of hostilities, more than 880,000 people have been displaced as of yesterday. Partners estimate that around 6 per cent of the displaced are living with at least one form of disability.
Return movements remain dynamic, with partners recording more than 220,000 returnees yesterday. Additionally, over 40,000 displaced people are staying in around 250 collective centres across north-east Syria.
OCHA reiterates that those fleeing fighting must be allowed to do so safely and to voluntarily return when the situation allows. Whether they leave or stay, people must be protected and able to access the essentials for their survival.
Meanwhile, the UN and partners continue to support the response by supplying food, water, cash, tents, and blankets. The UN is also deploying medical teams and supplies.
On 14 December, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Cross, in collaboration with UNICEF, conducted a joint mission to the Tishreen Dam’s facility in Aleppo governorate to enable urgent and critical repairs. UNICEF also secured fuel to power the backup generator, enabling the safe drainage of the dam and safeguarding water supplies.
Hostilities near the dam last week led to an extended electricity outage and disrupted water and other key services, affecting millions of people in the area.
#Lebanon
OCHA reports that the UN and partners continue to support the humanitarian response across Lebanon as displaced people return to their homes.
More than 900,000 people have begun returning to their areas of origin since the announcement of a cessation of hostilities on 27 November, according to the International Organization for Migration. Nearly 179,000 people remain displaced. The situation is fluid, and movements are fluctuating.
Reverse cross-border movements from Syria into Lebanon have also been observed. UNHCR reports that as of 13 December, the Lebanese authorities estimate that 30,000 people have returned from Syria to Hermel district – mostly Syrian, but also Lebanese nationals. Some temporary shelters have opened to host those without other options.
Additionally, local authorities say that some 25,000 Lebanese have returned to Lebanon in the same area, but they have found private accommodation.
The Lebanese authorities have recorded less than 10,000 Syrians returning to Syria since 8 December. Movements continue daily through both formal and informal border crossings. Some of these returns appear to be temporary, as individuals travel back to Syria to check on family members or assess the condition of their properties.
Earlier today, Under-Secretary-General Fletcher visited the Masnaa crossing point between Lebanon and Syria, where many have crossed the border in search of safety. He said the humanitarian community is supporting people working to rebuild their lives.
In Lebanon, the UN and partners continue to complement the Government-led response and deliver food, water, shelter supplies and hygiene kits. The humanitarian community is also supporting winterization efforts and delivering blankets, winter clothing and cash for heating as temperatures begin to plummet.
#Occupied Palestinian Territory
OCHA warns of rising casualties due to heavy fighting across the Gaza Strip.
OCHA says new evacuation orders have once again triggered large-scale displacement, leaving civilians exposed to hostilities and deprived of access to vital services.
Israeli authorities issued two evacuation orders on Friday and Saturday. The first affected parts of Gaza city and North Gaza governorate – an area spanning over five-and-a-half square kilometres. The second order affected 4.3 square kilometres in Deir al Balah.
In the wake of these evacuation orders, our partners on the ground observed about 250 families moving southward from affected areas in northern Gaza. They report that some 450 families fled affected areas in Deir al Balah.
The UN and partners are closely monitoring the situation and attending to the needs of those newly displaced with the limited resources available.
In Gaza city, humanitarian partners say hostilities escalated over the weekend – particularly in areas affected by the new evacuation orders – leaving more Palestinians killed and injured. In East Tuffah, there were reports of a direct strike on the Yaffa school, which had been serving as a collective centre for displaced people.
In North Gaza governorate, more than 1,500 Palestinians were reportedly displaced overnight on Saturday from Izbet Beit Hanoun, forcing them to pass through an Israeli checkpoint toward Gaza city.
Some of those arriving in Gaza city told humanitarian partners that Israeli forces had surrounded the Khalil Awada schools, which had been turned into shelters housing more than 1,500 people, as well as surrounding homes. Dozens of people were reportedly killed amid heavy shelling. Our partners are registering newly displaced survivors to facilitate humanitarian assistance.
In central Gaza on Friday, UNICEF said 33 people – including eight children – were reportedly killed in an attack on Nuseirat camp. In a statement, Executive Director Catherine Russell said the latest violence adds to a staggering figure of more than 160 children reportedly killed in Gaza in November – an average of four children every day since the beginning of the month. She said children did not start this conflict and have no power to stop it, yet they are paying the highest price with their lives and futures.
OCHA stresses once again that children and all civilians in Gaza must be protected, and safe passage must be ensured for those who flee. Equally important is ensuring that civilians can access the support they need to survive, whether they leave or stay.
OCHA reports that today, three humanitarian missions planning to bring food and water to parts of besieged North Gaza were once again denied by Israeli authorities.
The humanitarian community remains firm in its objection to unilateral designations stipulating where aid work can take place within the Gaza Strip. The UN is committed to addressing people’s needs wherever they are and urgently calls for unimpeded access for humanitarian organizations to all areas where people require assistance.
#Sudan
OCHA notes with alarm the rising number of civilian casualties due to attacks in and around El Fasher, in North Darfur State, Sudan.
Attacks include the repeated shelling of the Zamzam displacement camp since the beginning of this month. The camp hosts hundreds of thousands of people, and famine conditions were confirmed there earlier this year.
Local sources reported that scores of people were killed over the weekend in an alleged missile strike on central El Fasher.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also reported 9 civilian deaths and 20 injuries following an attack on El Fasher’s main hospital last Friday. Operations in the hospital are now understood to have come to a complete halt.
This is part of a broader escalation of attacks across Darfur and in other areas of Sudan.
OCHA calls once again for an immediate cessation of hostilities so that emergency relief can be provided and civilians can move to safer locations. International humanitarian law must be respected. Civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, are not a target.
#Tropical Cyclone Chido
OCHA is concerned by the impact of Tropical Cyclone Chido which made landfall in Mayotte and northern Mozambique over the weekend as a Category 4 cyclone, bringing heavy rains and destructive winds.
In Mozambique, the UN and humanitarian partners are working closely with the Government to assess the damage and humanitarian impact.
In Cabo Delgado province, humanitarian partners began providing assistance in the provincial capital city of Pemba just hours after the cyclone made landfall yesterday.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has already delivered emergency food assistance to 500 cyclone-affected families in temporary accommodation centers in Pemba. Similar distributions are ongoing in Nampula’s Mogincual district under the Anticipatory Action Plan. WFP warehouses in Pemba and Nacala have been secured, with food stocks available for immediate distribution.
Meanwhile, UNICEF and partners are providing water and sanitation supplies to mitigate disease risks as the region is already grappling with a cholera outbreak.
Preliminary figures indicate that 140,000 people have been affected across Cabo Delgado Province where more than 1 million people are already in need of assistance due to the ongoing conflict. In the most affected districts, including Mecufi and Metuge, people urgently need shelter, food, water, sanitation, hygiene, health and protection assistance.
Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher yesterday allocated US$4 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to support early response efforts; however, more funding is urgently required.
#Ukraine
In Ukraine, OCHA reports that hostilities along the front line caused scores of civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure between 13 and 16 December. According to local authorities, 1,200 people were forced to flee for safety.
As fighting intensifies in the Donetsk Region, humanitarian access is severely impacted. Nearly 12,000 residents remain in the towns of Pokrovsk, Kurakhove and Chasiv Yar, just a few kilometres away from the frontline. Yesterday, nearly 650 people, including 24 children, fled front-line areas of Donetsk Region.
The local gas operator has suspended services to 11,000 consumers, including families and businesses, in Pokrovsk due to the deteriorating security situation. The water utility company has also halted delivering drinking water to distribution points in the area.
In Kurakhove, over 400 people remain in the town, and around 300 residents continue to live in Chasiv Yar, where fighting is most intense. Humanitarian aid delivery to these towns is currently impossible. More than 315,000 people remain in the Ukraine-controlled parts of the Donetsk region.
Despite the challenges, the UN and partners today sent a humanitarian convoy to Lyman front-line community in the Donetsk Region with hygiene kits, dignity kits for older people and people with disabilities, and medical supplies.
In 2024, 13 humanitarian convoys have delivered critical winter assistance and other supplies to nearly 25,000 residents in front-line areas of the Donetsk Region.