Gaza ceasefire improves aid access, but children still face deadly conditions

That’s the assessment of two senior officials from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP), speaking on Monday to journalists in New York following a week-long visit to the enclave and the occupied West Bank. The two agencies have brought more than 10,000 trucks of aid into Gaza since the 10 October truce between Israel and Hamas, representing some 80 per cent […]

Limited access restored to Syria’s Al Hol camp amid security concerns

Briefing reporters in New York, Farhan Haq said the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, was able to access the camp on Friday together with Syrian Government officials and establish contact with some residents. Essential supplies have also resumed. Al Hol is one of the region’s largest displacement sites, housing tens of thousands of people, mostly women […]

One in four still lacks access to safe drinking water and sanitation

One in four still lacks access to safe drinking water and sanitation

The report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and children’s agency (UNICEF) issued as World Water Week gets underway, highlights persistent gaps in access, with vulnerable communities facing the greatest disparities. Some 2.1 billion people still lack access to safely managed drinking water, while 106 million worldwide are forced to rely on untreated surface sources. “Water, […]

Syria: UNICEF calls for safe access to children in Sweida as needs mount

Syria: UNICEF calls for safe access to children in Sweida as needs mount

Deadly sectarian clashes erupted in the southern governorate, also known as As-Sweida, in July and early August and children and families continue to feel the impact. At least 22 children reportedly were killed and another 21 injured in the violence, which caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure.  More than 190,000 people, mainly women and children, […]

Syria: Ceasefire under strain as violence and aid access issues persist in Sweida

Syria: Ceasefire under strain as violence and aid access issues persist in Sweida

The 19 July truce followed weeks of sectarian clashes, Israeli airstrikes and grave human rights violations in the southern governorate, also known as As-Sweida. As a result, more than 190,000 people have been displaced there and in neighbouring Dar’a and Rural Damascus governorates. The fighting also caused severe damage to infrastructure and to livelihoods.  Electricity […]

Gaza: Access to key water facility in Khan Younis disrupted, UN reports

Gaza: Access to key water facility in Khan Younis disrupted, UN reports

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Israeli authorities issued displacement orders overnight for two neighbourhoods in Khan Younis, where up to 80,000 people had been living. The Al Satar reservoir – a critical hub for distributing piped water from Israel – has become inaccessible as a result. Grave warnings […]

Ukraine: Increasing hostilities displace civilians, limit humanitarian access

Ukraine: Increasing hostilities displace civilians, limit humanitarian access

Donetsk, Kherson and Sumy regions sustained the most damage, with several civilians reportedly killed, and many displaced, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at a regular news briefing on Thursday. “Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that food insecurity remains a concern in front-line and border regions,” he added. According to a recent assessment by the […]

Iran-Israel crisis: IAEA chief urges access to damaged nuclear sites

Iran-Israel crisis: IAEA chief urges access to damaged nuclear sites

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was addressing the agency’s Board of Governors, amid fresh reports of new Israeli missile strikes on Iranian military sites in Tehran and elsewhere earlier on Monday. Iranian weapons fire has also been reported across Israel.  Mr. Grossi – who also addressed an emergency meeting of […]

UN aid teams plead for access amid reports Gazans shot collecting food

UN aid teams plead for access amid reports Gazans shot collecting food

Unverified footage from Rafah where the privately-run but Israeli military-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is based showed scenes of panic with crowds of people rushing in different directions, while others carried away boxes of supplies. The UN human rights office, OHCHR, said that it had received information that at least 47 people had been hurt on […]