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Hurricane Melissa leaves thousands displaced across the Caribbean

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The hurricane caused widespread damage to homes, infrastructure and crops, leaving thousands displaced.

However, extensive storm preparation by governments, assisted by UN agencies and other NGOs, appears to have helped lessen the impact and saved lives in many areas. 

In Cuba, the hurricane struck the province of Santiago de Cuba with winds exceeding 200 km/h per hour and six hours of torrential rain. “Melissa is one of the three most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in Cuba and the strongest worldwide this year,” said Francisco Pichon, UN Resident Coordinator for Cuba, during a press briefing via videoconference in New York.

“More than three million people were exposed to life-threatening conditions, and nearly 240 communities are cut off due to flooding and landslides”, he added speaking via video.

Existing vulnerabilities

The storm compounded existing vulnerabilities. Many affected areas had already suffered from last year’s Hurricane Oscar and earthquakes – while drought, rising viral diseases, and energy shortages caused further strain.

Despite these challenges, Cuba’s civil defence system helped evacuate over 77,000 people to protection centres, including schools temporarily repurposed as shelters.

Mr. Pichon highlighted the UN’s anticipatory action framework, which pre-positioned relief supplies and personnel before the storm hit. “This mechanism allowed us to respond quickly and ensure that essential goods reached the people who needed them most,” he said.

Plans are underway to reach two million people in the coming days, including food security, health, education, shelter, water and sanitation, and logistics.

Early preparedness saves lives

In Haiti, the storm’s slow movement brought flash floods, landslides, and severe damage to crops, said Gregoire Goodstein, the UN’s interim Humanitarian Coordinator.

“At least 24 people have died, 17 were injured, and 18 remain missing,” he reported. Around 15,000 people are currently sheltering in over 120 temporary facilities.

Early preparedness helped save lives. “We deployed emergency stocks, set up evacuation shelters, and sent out 3.5 million early warning messages,” Mr. Goodstein told journalists. “Rapid response teams worked alongside national authorities to ensure communities could evacuate safely,” he added.

Haiti faces the storm amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis, with 1.4 million people displaced, widespread hunger affecting half the population, and cholera outbreaks in some areas.

Mr. Goodstein noted that the UN’s Humanitarian Response Plan is currently 87 per cent underfunded, putting life-saving operations at risk.

“Humanitarian needs remain immense, and international cooperation is crucial.”

The UN continues to coordinate assistance across the Caribbean, supporting both immediate relief and longer-term recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Melissa.

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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UN urges restraint as Thailand-Cambodia clashes displace thousands; Security Council meets

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The clashes, which began on 24 July, reportedly involved exchanges of gunfire, artillery shelling and rocket fire, with Thailand having conducted airstrikes inside Cambodian territory.

UN humanitarian officials confirmed civilian casualties, including children.

More than 131,000 people in Thailand and over 4,000 in Cambodia have been displaced, according to relief partners. Temporary shelters, including schools and temples, are overcrowded, and food, shelter and medical assistance are urgently needed.

The United Nations stands ready to support humanitarian efforts if requested, spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay said at a regular briefing in New York.

Protect children at all times

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also appealed for “maximum restraint”.

June Kunugi, Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific – based in Bangkok – urged both countries to protect children and the critical services they depend on, in line with their obligations under international law, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“Children must be protected at all times and their safety and wellbeing must be prioritised, while schools must remain safe spaces for learning,” she said.

Security Council private meeting

At UN Headquarters in New York, ambassadors convened for an emergency private meeting of the Security Council to discuss the situation.

Representatives of Thailand and Cambodia were said to be in attendance, with Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Asia and the Pacific at the UN Department of Political Affairs (DPPA), briefing.

Private meetings of the Security Council are closed to the public, but considered a formal meeting.

A longstanding dispute

The last major flare-up between the two countries occurred in 2011, when days of border fighting near the historic Preah Vihear temple – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – left multiple casualties on both sides.

Then-Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had called for an immediate, verifiable ceasefire and urged both countries to resolve their dispute through dialogue, not military means.

That escalation followed a 2008 troop build-up around the 11th-century Hindu temple, which sits on the Cambodian side of the border.

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Syria: Deadly sectarian violence displaces thousands in Sweida; healthcare attacked

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Since 13 July, around 176,000 people have been displaced from Sweida,  according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Mostly migrating to neighbouring Dar’a and Rural Damascus governorates, civilians are fleeing violent clashes between Bedouin tribal fighters, Syrian caretaker government forces and Druze militias.

Meanwhile in the north of the country, local authorities reported that a large explosion struck an ammunition depot in Ma’arrat Tasmarin, in Idleb Governorate, on Thursday, reportedly killing six people and injuring at least 140 others.

Although Syrian Civil Defense teams attempted to evacuate people and transfer the injured for medical care, secondary explosions in the vicinity significantly hindered emergency response efforts.

Attacks on healthcare

In Sweida, health facilities are under immense strain, with staff operating in extremely difficult conditions, while access to healthcare remains a challenge.

As WHO confirmed five attacks on healthcare, including the killing of at least two doctors, the organization also reported on the obstructions to and targeting of ambulances as well as the temporary occupation of hospitals.

“We know healthcare must never be a target. In fact, health facilities, patients and health workers must be actively protected,” said Dr. Christina Bethke, WHO acting representative in Syria, speaking from Damascus to journalists at the UN in Geneva on Friday.

Dr. Bethke said that Sweida’s hospitals are facing shortages of staff, electricity, water, and basic supplies, with the morgue at the city’s main hospital reaching capacity earlier this week.

“Ensuring that doctors, nurses and supplies can reach people safely is not just vital for saving lives, it is a responsibility under international law that all sides must uphold,” Dr. Bethke said.

Limited access

As different groups control different pathways, poor security conditions are restricting access to Sweida, limiting the ability of the UN and partners to deliver aid to those affected by the violence.

While access to the city remains limited, WHO has been able to deliver vital supplies to health facilities in Dar’a and Damascus governorates, including trauma supplies, essential medicine and hospital support.

In response to rising violence both in Sweida and in the north, UN humanitarian coordinator in Syria Adam Abdelmoula  launched an extension of the 2025 humanitarian appeal, which is currently less than 12 per cent funded. 

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Gaza: More misery as new evacuation orders impact tens of thousands

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Those impacted by the orders have been told to relocate to the “already overcrowded” coastal strip at Al Mawasi, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), late Tuesday.

Al Mawasi near Khan Younis lacks “the basics for survival”, the UN agency insisted. It has also seen nearly two dozen strikes on displaced Gazans sheltering in tents there between 18 March and 11 April, the UN human rights office said. 

As the war drags on well into its 21st month, Gaza’s most vulnerable people continue to struggle to survive.

Dialysis emergency

They include Musbah Zaqqout, 70, one of 230 patients receiving lifesaving dialysis at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. His treatment has been disrupted by persistent supply shortages that reduced sessions from three to two per week at the end of last month, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.

“He suffered a lot when dialysis was not available,” said Mr. Zaqqout’s wife, Saadia. “He was suffocating and was frequently admitted to the hospital, to the point where he fell into a coma, lost focus and didn’t recognize anyone.”

With support from partner organization KS Relief, WHO delivered dialysis supplies and fuel for Al-Shifa Hospital, so that it could resume dialysis treatment and other lifesaving services.

“Thank God, after restarting dialysis, his condition improved,” Mrs. Zaqqout said, while the UN health agency reiterated its calls for sustained entry of food, fuel, and health aid at scale through all possible routes.

“Critical shortages of fuel and medical supplies persist across Gaza,” WHO warned. “Without urgent and sustained replenishment, health care services risk coming to a grinding halt.”

Child malnutrition tragedy

Echoing those concerns, the UN agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, warned on Wednesday that it is increasingly difficult to help Gazans. Already, one in 10 of the children brought to its clinics suffers from malnutrition. The condition was unheard of in the enclave before the war, but it more than doubled in children under five between March and June, amid the near-total Israeli siege.

“It’s becoming more and more difficult for us to continue providing services,” said UNRWA’s Louise Wateridge. “At least 188 UNRWA installations – over half of all our installations in the Gaza Strip – are located within the Israeli-militarized zone, under displacement orders, or where these overlap.”

In an update, Ms. Wateridge said that only six UNRWA health centres and 22 of the agency’s medical points remain operational today, in addition to 22 mobile medical points inside and outside shelters.

Nearly 60 per cent of essential medical supplies are now out of stock, according to the UN agency. “Children are dying before our eyes, because we do not have the medical supplies or sustained food to treat them,” it said.

Key medicines run out

As a direct result of the Israeli blockade on Gaza which began on 2 March, UNRWA said that it has “now run out of” medicines for high blood pressure, antiparasitic and antifungal medicine, medicine for eye infections and inflammation, all skin treatments and oral antibiotics for adults.

Providing clean water to the war-shattered enclave remains a massive challenge and only two UNRWA main water wells still function. Ten were operational before the war. Another 41 smaller wells are operational in UNRWA shelters.

For the past two months in north Gaza, UNRWA has been forced to stop providing water and sanitation services for around 25,000 displaced people in shelters, owing to displacement orders issued by Israeli forces.

“The restrictions on the entry of fuel continues placing life-saving services at a severe risk,” the UN agency said. “Critical water services are at risk of shutting down if sustained fuel supplies are not permitted entry.”

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Deadly flooding in Nigeria displaces thousands

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Nigerian officials estimate that over 500 people are still missing and presumed dead, according to news reports.

Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, a former Nigerian Government minister, said she was heartbroken at the extent of the loss and damage.

“My deepest condolences to all those affected – especially the families who have lost loved ones. My prayers are with you,” she said.

UN relief operation 

United Nations agencies and partners are working alongside the Nigerian Government to provide essential humanitarian aid to individuals and households in Niger State who have been affected.

Beginning 29 May, heavy rains in the Local Government Area of Mokwa – known as a trading hub – prompted flash flooding which flattened entire neighbourhoods.

Hundreds were killed, thousands displaced and key roads and bridges were damaged, disrupting movement and economic activity.

Nigeria’s rainy season extends from April-October, making it particularly prone to flooding, which has become more severe in recent years.

Climate change factor

In 2024, a flood in September killed 230 people in Borno state in eastern Nigeria and displaced over 600,000 people. In 2022, severe flooding across the country impacted 34 out of the 36 states, killed hundreds and displaced more than 1.3 million.

A recent report from the UN weather agency (WMO) said the worsening severity is related to climate change and increasing surface and water temperatures, all of which is taking a high toll throughout the African continent.

Agencies on the ground

According to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric Nigerian authorities are leading recovery efforts and UN agencies and partners are providing supplementary assistance.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing to ship medicine and medical equipment to supplement and support existing primary care systems.

For their part, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is providing materials for temporary shelter and other non-essential food items.

The UN reproductive health agency (UNFPA) is working to establish temporary clinics and safe spaces for women and girls displaced by the flooding. In these spaces, women can access maternal and reproductive health services, dignity kits and psychosocial assistance. UNFPA is also working to deploy midwives and nurses.

Mohammed M. Malik Fall, resident and humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, commended Government efforts to respond to the humanitarian situation in Mokwa and said that the UN “stands ready to support the response.”

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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DR Congo aid operation reaches Beni with food supplies for thousands

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The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said that trucks packed with cereals, beans and cooking oil reached the city of Beni in North Kivu province from neighbouring Uganda, amid clashes between Rwanda-backed M23 rebel fighters and Congolese forces.

Aid for 140,000

WFP said that it intends to use the thousands of tonnes of relief supplies transported to warehouses in Beni to help around 140,000 people living in Lubero territory, south of the city of Butembo.

Violence escalated on 2 May across Lubero territory, uprooting some 30,000 people, according to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA.

The development comes amid ongoing peace talks in Qatar between the DRC Government and the M23 rebels. At previous talks in April, both sides pledged to work towards peace.

Amid rampant insecurity caused by proliferating armed groups, the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have been at war for years with the Congolese army and allied forces in the mineral-rich region. In 2021, negotiations between the group and Kinshasa collapsed.

January offensive

Hostilities ramped up in January this year when M23 fighters captured Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province. A month later they seized Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu and threatened to take Kinshasa, on the other side of the huge country.

Since then, ongoing fighting has caused mass displacement, killed more than 7,000 people and fuelled fears of regional conflict.

A total of 21 million people need humanitarian assistance in DRC today. UN aid teams and partners remain on the ground to help and have condemned the looting of aid warehouses by armed groups which have destroyed food and medicine.

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Hundreds of thousands of Afghans forced back into danger, says UNHCR

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According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), over 250,000 Afghans returned in April alone – among them, 96,000 who were forcibly deported. The agency voiced particular alarm over the fate of women and girls, who face increasing repression under Taliban rule.

The large-scale returns are putting even greater pressure on already stretched humanitarian resources and worsening the plight of millions struggling to survive.

“They face increasing restrictions in terms of access to employment, education and freedom of movement,” said agency spokesperson Babar Baloch.

“We keep telling the governments of Iran and Pakistan that returns to Afghanistan must be voluntary, safe and dignified,” he continued.

Aside from women and girls, forcibly returned human rights activists and journalists as well as ethnic or religious minority groups are among those who face the biggest dangers back in Afghanistan.

Massive needs

These risks are further compounded by rising needs, where half the population relies on humanitarian assistance. Since 2023, more than 3.5 million people have returned to the country.

Such high numbers of returnees only increase the risk of further internal displacement and attempts to reach Europe, Mr. Baloch noted.

UNHCR is seeking $75 billion to assist returnees and help stabilize the region. Afghans represented the largest group of irregular arrivals from Asia Pacific to Europe in 2024, at more than four in 10.

Additional funds will allow UNHCR in Afghanistan to provide returnees with urgent assistance including access to services, livelihoods, reintegration services, travel and financial assistance – “with emphasis on reaching women and girls,” Mr. Baloch explained.

The agency also plans to address immediate protection needs and enhance reception capacity.

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