Gaza: UN agencies call for aid ‘surge’ as privatized distribution plan begins
As a controversial United States and Israel-backed aid distribution plan gets underway in Gaza, the UN called on Tuesday for an “immediate surge” of its own pre-positioned supplies to help prevent starvation.
After nearly three months of complete blockade by Israel, some aid was finally allowed into Gaza last week.
But this was “vastly insufficient”, said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN aid coordination office, OCHA. He explained why the organization’s aid teams are not joining the Israel-backed project:
“It is a distraction from what is actually needed, which is a reopening of all the crossings into Gaza, a secure environment within Gaza and faster facilitation of permissions and final approvals of all the emergency supplies that we have just outside the border; it needs to get in.”
UN aid workers still operate inside Gaza, but they are not always able to collect the supplies from Kerem Shalom because the routes assigned to them by the Israeli authorities are not safe, Mr. Laerke insisted.
In an update, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said that 294 trucks have reached Kerem Shalom from Port Ashdod.
On Tuesday, media reports indicated that protesters had attempted to block lorries loaded with aid from leaving the Israeli port.
“While desperately needed aid is finally trickling into Gaza, the pace is far too slow to meet the overwhelming needs,” WFP said.
Ukraine: Despite ongoing deadly attacks, relief teams assist uprooted communities
After Russia’s biggest reported drone attack on Ukraine since it launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, UN aid teams and their partners have continued to provide assistance to communities shattered by the war.
According to Kyiv, Russian forces launched a record 355 drones and nine cruise missiles on Sunday evening, reportedly killing at least six people.
The following day, the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) and humanitarian partners mobilized 10 convoys to assist the most affected communities in front-line regions.
In the southern Ukrainian town of Antonivka near Kherson city by the Black Sea, OCHA delivered pallets of food, hygiene items, first aid supplies and dignity kits for the elderly.
Across Ukraine today, more than 12 million people require urgent assistance and protection.
And as hostilities continue into a fourth year, the UN and its partners are calling for sustained international support and unimpeded humanitarian access to ensure relief reaches those most in need.
Sudan’s healthcare system is in crisis, warns WHO
To Sudan, where the country’s humanitarian crisis continues to worsen, the UN World Health Organization, WHO, warned on Tuesday.
In an update the UN agency said that more than 14.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes because of the war.
Another nearly four million have fled to neighbouring countries, including Egypt, South Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, Libya and the Central African Republic – making it the largest regional crisis by number in the world.
WHO noted that the plight of all those displaced has been made worse by ongoing fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Typical challenges for homeless communities include overcrowding in camps, lack of sanitation and the “near collapse” of the health system in large parts of Sudan.
Urgent humanitarian needs include access to clean water, food, shelter, healthcare, and core relief items to avoid diseases being spread, the UN health agency insisted.
Daniel Johnson, UN News
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