Tag Archives: flee

Between fear and survival: Women and girls flee violence in northern Syria

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Now eight months pregnant and sheltering in a makeshift camp, the mother of three said her biggest fear isn’t the biting cold – it’s what will happen if she goes into labour. 

“I worry about my health, but I worry more about where to go if something happens,” said Fatima. “Displacement is not just losing your home. It’s losing your privacy, your safety and access to healthcare, especially as a woman.” 

Every step we took felt like it could be our last

She is one of tens of thousands of women and girls affected by the uptick in violence and insecurity around Aleppo in the past few weeks, which has forced large numbers to flee, disrupted essential services and shut down hospitals. 

“We fled under bombardment, with nothing but our fear,” Farida, 39, told the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which is the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency. 

“Every step we took felt like it could be our last.”

A UNFPA-supported health worker delivers essential healthcare at a clinic in Al-Hassakeh, for women and girls forced to flee Aleppo in Northern Syria.

Unbearable cold 

In Aleppo, some 58,000 are still displaced following recent clashes between the transitional Government’s security forces and the mostly-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with insecurity spreading to surrounding areas. 

To make matters worse, winter conditions have only deepened the suffering: thousands are now enduring freezing temperatures, sheltering in makeshift camps, former schools and unfinished buildings across the country. 

Ruhan, a mother of three from Aleppo, fled with only what she could carry. 

 “The cold is unbearable. My biggest fear is keeping my children warm and safe,” she told UNFPA aid workers, who provided her with reproductive health services, counselling and a dignity kit. 

Delivering aid 

More than 890,000 people had been newly displaced as of December 2025 in Syria, adding to almost seven million already displaced inside the country. 

Fourteen years of conflict, climate shocks, and economic decline have left Syria’s recovery fragile and uneven, with immense humanitarian needs and severely damaged healthcare systems.

In response, UNFPA and its partners have sent mobile health teams to reach displaced communities with life-saving sexual and reproductive healthcare, dignity kits with essential hygiene items, and psychosocial counselling. 

Around 400,000 pregnant women in Syria are struggling to access essential maternity services – a situation worsened by deep funding cuts which began last year that have further restricted access.

Women and girls displaced by violence receive reproductive health support and dignity kits in a neighbourhood in Aleppo, Syria.

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Gaza: Aid insufficient to avert ‘widespread starvation’ as Israeli military ramp-up forces more people to flee

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“The risk of starvation is everywhere in Gaza,” UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters in Geneva.

“This is a direct result of the Israeli government’s policy of blocking humanitarian aid,” he said.

Mr. Al-Kheetan insisted that in the past few weeks, Israeli authorities have only allowed aid to enter in quantities that remain “far below what would be required to avert widespread starvation”.

The UN said on Monday that hunger-related deaths continue to be reported in the Strip, including among children.

More people displaced

As the Israeli army intensified its attacks in the north of the enclave, it has continued to issue displacement orders for Palestinians, Mr. Al-Kheetan said.

He noted that Gazans have been told to move to the Al-Mawasi area, despite continuing airstrikes and disastrous conditions there.

“Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced to Al-Mawasi have little or no access to essential services and supplies, including food, water, electricity and tents,” he warned.

Deadly pursuit of aid

The OHCHR spokesperson stressed that reaching humanitarian aid “can be a deadly pursuit” with latest data indicating that 1,857 Palestinians were killed while seeking food from 27 May, when the US and Israel-backed militarized aid distribution scheme known as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started its operations.

Out of that number, he said that 1,021 were killed in the vicinity of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites and 836 on the routes of supply trucks.

“Most of these killings appear to have been committed by the Israeli military,” Mr. Al-Kheetan said.

Asked how the situation could get even worse, Jens Laerke, the spokesperson for the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA), said that “it has already gotten worse”, insisting on the devastating effects of the Israeli ban on the entry of shelter materials into the enclave.

While the Israeli authorities recently announced that they would lift the ban on shelter supplies, Mr. Laerke said that “the United Nations and our partners have as of last night not been able to bring in shelter materials following the Israeli announcement.”

“There’s a set of impediments that still needs to be addressed, including Israeli customs clearance,” he added.

Need for shelter

The UN said on Monday that according to partners’ estimations at least 1.35 million people in Gaza need emergency shelter.

Aid agencies have warned that tents being used in Gaza are worn out from prolonged sun exposure and frequent displacement.

Asked about the reasons given for the ban on shelter items, Mr. Laerke explained that in a conflict, some shelter items such as tentpoles can fall under the “dual-use regime” as they could be used for both civilian and military purposes.

“Shelter has been banned entry for about five months and in that period over 700,000 people have been displaced or re-displaced,” he said.

People forced to flee time and again often have to leave behind the tents that they have been provided, Mr. Laerke explained, which creates a challenge for aid workers “trying to respond to people where they are”.

The looming expansion of Israel’s military activities in Gaza City is another major concern for UN humanitarians, as it would again push thousands of people into a severely overcrowded area in the south of the Strip.

Asked about the impact of Israel’s plans to occupy Gaza City, Mr. Al-Kheetan underscored a “huge risk” for civilians.

“There are risks of mass displacement… more killings and more misery that we have already seen in the Gaza Strip,” he warned. “Among those who will be affected are the most vulnerable, people with disabilities, the injured, the children, women”, he concluded.

Response to prison video

In other developments, the human rights spokesman said that video footage showing Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir berating and taunting Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouthi inside an Israeli jail was “unacceptable.”

He said the minister’s behaviour and the publication of the images constitute an attack on Mr. Barghouthi’s dignity.

He added that international law requires that all detainees be treated humanely, with dignity, and that their human rights be respected and protected.

“Such conduct by the minister responsible for the Israeli Prison Service may encourage violence against Palestinian detainees, enabling human rights violations in Israeli detention facilities,” he said

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Violence in northern Mozambique forces thousands to flee, straining aid efforts

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The displacement is the latest consequence of a cascade of overlapping emergencies in the country – including armed violence, climate shocks, disease outbreaks and a severe funding shortfall. Since January, over 95,000 people have fled insecurity in Cabo Delgado and humanitarian access is becoming increasingly fragile.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), attacks by armed groups between 20 and 28 July triggered the displacement of at least 46,667 people across the districts of Chiúre, Ancuabe and Muidumbe.

Chiúre was the hardest hit, with more than 42,000 people uprooted – over half of them children.

“Insecurity persists, and people on the move often lack civil documentation,” OCHA said in a humanitarian bulletin on Saturday. “These challenges may impact the ability of displaced people to move freely, safely access basic services and maintain their livelihoods.”

Children separated from families

Attacks in Chiúre Velho, Ocua and Mazeze have driven families to Chiúre Sede, where they are sheltering in overcrowded conditions in the neighbourhoods of Bairro Micone and Bairro Namicir. Reports indicate a high number of unaccompanied or separated children.

Food, shelter and essential non-food items are reported as the most urgent needs, according to humanitarian partners.

The security situation in Ancuabe district also deteriorated rapidly. According to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), the number of displaced families nearly tripled in one week, reaching 444 households (1,946 people), including over 1,200 children. The violence forced residents of Nanduli village to seek refuge in Chiote and Ancuabe Sede.

In Muidumbe, fighters reportedly torched homes in Magaia village and opened fire near Mungue. Nearly 500 families fled to nearby displacement sites, where humanitarian access remains limited.

Protection concerns, limited funding

OCHA stressed that under international law, civilians must be allowed to seek safety and freely choose their destination. But insecurity, lack of documentation and involuntary relocations are compounding protection risks.

At the same time, the aid response remains severely underfunded.

As of July, only 19 per cent of Mozambique’s 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan has been funded. Of the $352 million requested, just $66 million has been received – forcing agencies to reduce their response targets by over 70 per cent. They now aim to assist only 317,000 people, down from the target of 1.1 million at the start of the year.

“Urgent and sustained funding is essential to prevent further deterioration and address the escalating humanitarian needs that remain as acute and widespread as ever,” the OCHA report warned.

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150,000 Rohingya flee to Bangladesh amid renewed Myanmar violence

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As armed clashes intensify and conditions worsen inside Myanmar, thousands continue to cross the border seeking safety in the overcrowded camps of Cox’s Bazar, where nearly one million Rohingya refugees already live in densely populated camps.

“This is the largest movement of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh since 2017,” said Babar Baloch, spokesperson for the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, briefing journalists in Geneva on Friday.  

He clarified that unlike the mass influx in 2017, when some 750,000 Rohingya fled deadly violence in Rakhine state, this uptick in refugees has unfolded more gradually.

Advocating for asylum

UNHCR is working closely with local authorities to respond to urgent humanitarian needs.  

“As the conflict in Myanmar continues unabated, we are advocating with the Bangladeshi authorities to provide managed access to safety and asylum for civilians fleeing the conflict,” he said.

Bangladesh has long provided refuge to the Rohingya, a mostly Muslim minority community in Myanmar, which is mainly Buddhist. 

The country currently hosts nearly one million people in the refugee camps and the recent arrivals – many of them women and children – are placing further strain on resources. Many are relying heavily on local solidarity and sharing limited resources with those already living in the camps.

Appeal for support

By the end of June, nearly 121,000 newly arrived refugees had been biometrically registered, although many more are believed to be residing informally in the camps. Access to adequate shelter remains a major concern as facilities struggle to absorb the new population.

“These new arrivals join another nearly one million Rohingya refugees crammed into just 24 square kilometres,” said Mr. Baloch. “More humanitarian support is urgently required.”

Aid partners have been able to provide basic services including food, medical care, education, and essential relief items. However, the response is now under serious threat due to a lack of funding.

UNHCR warned that the 2024 humanitarian appeal for $255 million is only 35 per cent funded. Without immediate financial support, the entire operation could face systemic collapse.

Action needed now

Unless additional funds are secured, health services will be severely disrupted by September and essential cooking fuel — liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) – will run out by December. Food assistance will stop and education for some 230,000 Rohingya children, including 63,000 new arrivals, is in danger of being discontinued.

Despite a strictly controlled and officially closed border, the Government of Bangladesh has allowed new arrivals to access emergency services in the camps. The UN agency expressed deep appreciation for this humanitarian gesture under highly challenging conditions.

“We don’t have the resources to take care of the new arrivals and also those who were there before them,” said Mr. Baloch. “Everything will be impacted.”

As displacement from Rakhine state continues, UNHCR and its partners are urging the international community to act swiftly. Without immediate and sustained support, the already fragile humanitarian response in Cox’s Bazar could begin to unravel  – with devastating consequences for more than one million people who rely on it for survival. 

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Thousands flee homes in Mozambique as conflict and disasters fuel worsening crisis

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The latest displacement brings the total number of people uprooted by violence, cyclones and social unrest in Mozambique to nearly 1.3 million, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

The situation is particularly dire in Cabo Delgado province, where attacks by non-state armed groups continue to drive displacement, destroy infrastructure and disrupt recovery efforts.

“Thousands have lost their homes, many for the second or third time and are seeking safety in already overstretched communities,” Xavier Creach, UNHCR Representative in Mozambique told journalists at a regular news briefing in Geneva on Friday.

A ‘triple crisis’

Mr. Creach warned that the southeast African country is grappling with a “triple crisis” – armed conflict and displacement, recurring extreme weather events, and months of post-electoral unrest.

At the same time, extreme weather events – most recently Cyclone Jude in March – have devastated communities already hosting large numbers of displaced families. Food prices have surged by up to 20 per cent in some areas, compounding the strain on households and deepening the economic fragility in one of the world’s poorest countries.

The risks facing displaced people, particularly women and children, are severe. Protection concerns, including gender-based violence, family separation and limited access to documentation, are rising sharply.

According to UNHCR estimates, nearly 5.2 million people across the country require some form of humanitarian assistance.

Dwindling funds

In the challenging environment, UNHCR’s response is constrained by lack of funding with less than one-third of the $42.7 million funding appeal for the year met so far.

The agency warned that unless urgent support is mobilized, vital programmes will be at risk.

The broader UN humanitarian appeal, addressing other critical sectors such as nutrition and food security, health, water and sanitation, and education also faces severe shortages, having received only about 15 per cent of the required $352 million.

“A perfect storm is gathering. If we turn away now, the country will face a much larger humanitarian emergency,” Mr. Creach said.

“The crisis is unfolding now. We have a choice. We can act to prevent, support and protect – or we can sit on our hands.”

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Gaza: New displacement orders force thousands to flee as famine looms

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In addition to ongoing bombardment, Israel issued another three displacement orders over the past two days, covering seven per cent of the total area of the territory. 

Overall, some 71 per cent of the Gaza Strip is under displacement orders or in Israeli-militarized zones, where the Israeli authorities require humanitarian teams to coordinate their movements. 

“These displacement orders come as populations across Gaza are at risk of famine and one in every five people faces starvation,” the agency said.

Thousands uprooted

Evacuation orders announced on Thursday have impacted thousands of residents in 10 neighbourhoods in Deir Al-Balah and Khan Younis, OCHA reported.

Initial assessment indicates that the affected area includes eight wells, five reservoirs, seven humanitarian warehouses, three health clinics and other critical facilities. 

Furthermore, displacement orders issued on Wednesday for six neighbourhoods in North Gaza governorate overlap with parts of zones covered under orders issued the previous day.

“According to preliminary estimates, the newly impacted area is home to approximately 100,000 people,” OCHA said. 

Some 30 sites for internally displaced people, six temporary learning spaces serving approximately 700 students, and several water and sanitation facilities have been affected.

Fleeing families return

Humanitarian partners report that several hundred families fled parts of the designated areas on Wednesday, however dozens have since returned due to lack of space and shelter.  

Another displacement order was also issued that same day for parts of the Rimal area of Gaza City.

OCHA further reported that Israeli forces hit another school-turned-shelter run by the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA, in the Nuseirat area of Deir Al-Balah on Wednesday.  No injuries were reported.

Humanitarians committed to deliver

Meanwhile, the UN and partners on the ground are committed to stay and deliver in the Gaza Strip despite the mounting challenges. 

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) evacuated 284 patients and their companions from the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Younis to Europe and the United Arab Emirates. Israeli forces hit the hospital premises twice one day prior to the scheduled evacuation. 

European Gaza Hospital is no longer functional following the attack, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a tweet on Thursday.

“The hospital’s closure has cut off vital services including neurosurgery, cardiac care, and cancer treatment—all unavailable elsewhere in Gaza,” he said.

He added that another strike near the Indonesian Hospital “spread fear, disrupted access, and raised the risk of closure.” 

Tedros underlined that “hospitals must be protected”, saying “they must never be militarized or targeted.”

Time is of the essence

More than two months have passed since Israel implemented a full blanket ban on the entry of cargo into the Gaza Strip, including aid and other life-saving supplies, which continues to drive hunger and deprivation.  

UN teams report that the number of hot meals provided by community kitchens has fallen from one million to just 249,000 a day.

OCHA Spokesperson Olga Cherevko told UN News that the situation will continue to worsen as supplies run down, forcing more kitchens to close.

“People are terrified and are telling me every day that they don’t know how they will survive,” she said.

“I have passed several kitchens in the past few days where crowds of people were standing with empty pots and despair in their faces, and these people were being told to go home because all the food had run out for that day.”

The UN and partners have 9,000 truckloads of vital supplies ready to move into Gaza, including food assistance to feed millions for months. Thousands more trucks full of aid are on standby.

OCHA reiterated that as long as the full blockade is not immediately lifted, the already limited assistance available will shrink even further, warning “time is of essence to prevent further death.” 

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Exhausted Sudanese flee into Chad as fighting escalates

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Nearly 20,000 people – mainly traumatized women and children – have reached Chad in the past two weeks, according to the UN refugee agency, UNCHR.

“Most arrived in Chad with nothing – no food, money or identification,” said Magatte Guisse, UNHCR Representative in Chad. “Several wounded individuals, including children and elderly women, reportedly fell from vehicles during the chaotic escape.”

Chad is one of the poorest countries in the world and already hosts 1.3 million refugees.

This includes nearly 800,000 people from Sudan since war broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in April 2023, after a breakdown in transition to civilian rule.  

Heavy fighting in Sudan has devastated much of the country, likely killed tens of thousands and displaced almost nine million people, UN agencies say.

No food, no money

In Chad, the Tine border crossing in Wadi Fira Province has seen the sharpest spike in new arrivals, with more than 6,000 people in just two days,

Sudanese refugees are exposed to robbery and extortion at checkpoints – and many have also witnessed men being killed, women and girls sexually abused, and homes burned to the ground.

The refugee agency reported that armed groups have extorted, robbed or sexually assaulted around 76 per cent of the newly arrived refugees.

A nation of 19 million people where resources are already strained, Chad is overstretched and needs “increased solidarity and immediate funding, to ensure these vulnerable populations receive the protection and assistance they need, now”.

Renewed attacks on Port Sudan 

In a related development, a third day of drone strikes hit the international airport and a power station in Port Sudan, the UN’s humanitarian hub for coordinating aid operations across Sudan.

The city is the current seat of government and until this weekend had been largely spared from the violence that is ongoing in Khartoum, Darfur and elsewhere. Thousands of people fleeing the war have also sought shelter in Port Sudan.

“Port Sudan airport is a lifeline for humanitarian operations, serving as the primary entry point for aid personnel, medical supplies and other lifesaving relief that is coming into Sudan,” said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN aid coordination office, OCHA. The airport is “immensely important”, he told journalists in Geneva.

According to reports, the Red Sea city suffered a complete power outage after drone strikes hit a large power station on Tuesday. Other strikes reportedly hit an army base in the city centre, a fuel depot and a hotel close to the airport, which is located near to the presidential palace.

These attacks have increased the “already severe” lack of aid access and delivery challenges facing humanitarian teams across the country, explained Mr. Laerke, adding that such violence is prohibited under international humanitarian law. 

It is widely believed that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are responsible for the attacks. No UN facilities or operations have been impacted but UN Humanitarian Air Service flights in and out of the city have been paused.

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