Occupied Palestinian Territory

The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, briefed UN Member States in New York this morning on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. 

He recounted the despair he witnessed as he spoke to families of Israeli hostages, and families who have lost loved ones and homes in Gaza. Mr. Griffiths said that what we have seen unfold in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory over the past 26 days is nothing short of a blight on our collective conscience.

Mr. Griffiths noted that 14 out of 35 hospitals in Gaza that can accept patients are currently not functioning. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is practically out of business, he said. As of yesterday, 72 of UNRWA’s brave staff in Gaza had been killed.

He said there are intense humanitarian negotiations under way – involving Israel, Egypt, the United States and the UN – with more than 300 trucks having moved into Gaza as of yesterday. More than 100 trucks arrived in Gaza on Thursday alone, he said, yet that remains far less than the 500 truckloads of goods that moved into Gaza every day prior to the current crisis. 

Mr. Griffiths called once more for the immediate release of all hostages and stressed the need to keep civilian infrastructure safe from harm. He reiterated the UN’s call for humanitarian pauses.

Lynn Hastings, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, briefed Member States via video link. She said the humanitarian impact of the attacks in Gaza has been catastrophic. 

Many people are drinking unclean water, while access to food is becoming a concern, she said. Ms. Hastings noted that the recent humanitarian deliveries do not include fuel, which is essential for Gaza as the generators to keep hospitals, desalination plants and other key installations running grind to a halt.

Thomas White of UNRWA discussed the worsening situation in Gaza as fuel runs out, noting that we could soon have a situation where raw sewage gushes out onto Gaza’s streets. He paid tribute to the work that UNRWA staff are doing there in dangerous conditions.

On Monday, the UN and partners will release an updated Flash Appeal for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, covering the remainder of the year. The US$1.2 billion appeal aims to support 2.7 million people – the entire Gaza population and 500,000 people in the West Bank.

The original appeal, launched on 12 October, asked for $294 million to support nearly 1.3 million people. The situation has grown increasingly desperate since then. The revised Flash Appeal will outline the need for food, water, health care, shelter, hygiene and other urgent priorities following the massive bombardments in the Gaza Strip.  

Democratic Republic of the Congo

OCHA reported that in October alone, more than 300,000 people were driven from their homes by escalating violence in North Kivu Province.

This brings the total number of people displaced in eastern parts of the country to more than 6 million. The eastern provinces are also facing continued outbreaks of cholera and measles.

Despite this volatile situation, the UN and partners have reached some 3 million people with humanitarian aid, including 1.9 million people with food assistance, in the region.

However, access remains challenging, and recent violence in Beni territory has forced many humanitarian workers to suspend their operations. This leaves more than 140,000 people unable to receive assistance.

This year’s $2.3 billion Humanitarian Response Plan for the Democratic Republic of the Congo is currently only 36 per cent funded, with just two months left in the year. 

Mozambique

The Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Joyce Msuya, visited Mozambique’s northern province of Cabo Delgado yesterday and today. The UN and partners continue to provide life-saving assistance to people impacted by the conflict there.  

Ms. Msuya met women, children and men who have returned to Mocimboa da Praia district after fleeing violence starting in 2017. Nearly three quarters of the more than 175,000 returnees in the district reside in areas where basic infrastructure – such as schools, health centres and water facilities – have yet to be restored.

More than 2 million people in Mozambique need humanitarian assistance to cope with the effects of conflict, climate change and extreme weather events, including Cyclone Freddy earlier this year.

During the first part of this year, the UN and partners reached some 1.5 million people in Mozambique with some form of humanitarian assistance. But to do more, more funding is needed. The 2023 Humanitarian Appeal for Mozambique for $513 million is just over one-third funded. Meanwhile, the response plan for Cyclone Freddy, floods and cholera is even less resourced, having received just 16 per cent of the $138 million needed. 

Sudan

The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, expressed deep concern over the military escalation in the Darfur region, and she called on the parties to the conflict to protect civilians and ensure safe passage for those trying to flee. 

Ms. Nkweta-Salami said that at a time when so much hope is being placed on the Jeddah talks to achieve a sustainable ceasefire and improved humanitarian access in Sudan, it is critical to prevent an escalation and expansion of the conflict. 

OCHA has facilitated an eight-truck convoy of food and medical supplies to South Kordofan’s capital, Kadugli – the first since intense fighting broke out in April. Though this is a positive development, sustained access is needed to ensure continued humanitarian deliveries to people in need across the country. 

Ukraine

OCHA said attacks continued this week across Ukraine, destroying energy facilities, schools, hospitals and other public sites. The Kherson Region in the south and the Donetsk Region in the east were particularly affected.  

Kharkiv City was also attacked last night. Humanitarian NGOs are already on site, providing psychological support and shelter materials to people whose homes were damaged by the attacks. 

The UN and partners continue to provide critical aid to front-line communities in Ukraine. Today, an inter-agency humanitarian convoy delivered vital supplies to the 1,600 people who remain in the front-line town of Orikhiv, in the Zaporizhzhia Region. The aid included medicine, household items, hygiene kits, blankets, mattresses, solar lamps and sleeping bags. Distributions of food assistance are ongoing.  

This year alone, the UN and partners have delivered 14 convoys to front-line communities in the Zaporizhzhia Region, providing essential support to more than 30,000 people living near the southern front. Since the beginning of the year, 96 humanitarian convoys have reached front-line areas.

Ahead of winter, humanitarian workers are distributing vital items, such as thermal blankets, mattresses and heaters. The UN and partners are appealing for some $435 million to deliver winter assistance to more than 1.7 million people across Ukraine through March 2024. Source: Ocha