Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, Hurricane Melissa, Ukraine
UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Ceasefire must hold for humanitarians to fully deliver on 60-day plan
OCHA says that that yesterday and overnight, the Israeli military carried out airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, with over 100 fatalities and more than 250 injuries reported by the Ministry of Health, including children.
OCHA reiterates that civilians must be protected. Israeli forces must take constant care to spare them throughout all its military operations.
Meanwhile, the UN and its humanitarian partners continue seizing the opportunities presented by the ceasefire to scale up humanitarian assistance.
On Monday, humanitarian partners working in child protection reached 1,500 children and 700 caregivers with mental health, psychosocial and other support.
Humanitarian partners working on food security report that, as of Monday, they are supporting the production of about 130,000 two-kilogram bread bundles every day. Community sites, kitchens and shelters that the UN supports continue to distribute bread for free.
But humanitarian partners say that people struggle to access meat, vegetables, and fruits, and with most families relying on cereals, pulses and small amounts of dairy.
Yesterday, the UN Office for Projects Services distributed more than 200,000 litres of fuel to humanitarian partners in southern and northern Gaza keep critical operations covering water, sanitation, hygiene, health, food security, logistics, rubble removal, telecommunications and education running.
OCHA stresses that while the humanitarian scale up-is well in motion, impediments remain. To fully deliver on the 60-day humanitarian plan, the UN and its humanitarian partners need the ceasefire to hold. But they also need more functional crossings, the lifting of bureaucratic hurdles, safe and viable routes inside Gaza, unimpeded access - including for NGOs - and continuous funding.
On the West Bank: human rights colleagues said yesterday that ongoing attacks by Israeli settlers continue to instill fear, destroy homes and livelihoods, and force Palestinians off their land.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Gaza and the West Bank with urgent support.
Sudan
UN allocates $20 million to support emergency response as people continue to flee El Fasher violence
OCHA is gravely alarmed by reports of continued atrocities against civilians, as well as the worsening situation in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State.
Ananalysis of satellite imagery has corroborated new evidence of continuing mass killings in the city during the 48 hours following the takeover by the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, on October 26th.
In a social media post today, the World Health Organization's Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said he was appalled and deeply shocked by reports of the tragic killing of more than 460 patients and companions at Saudi Maternity Hospital in El Fasher, following recent attacks and the abduction of health workers. Prior to this latest attack, WHO has verified 185 attacks on health care in Sudan, with 1,204 deaths and 416 injuries of health workers and patients since the start of the conflict in April of 2023. Forty-nine of these attacks occurred this year alone, killing 966 people.
People continue to flee El Fasher, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that more than 36,000 people fled between Sunday and yesterday. Most have sought refuge within the outskirts of El Fasher, as well as the localities of Kebkabiya, Melit and Tawila, where families are living in the open with no shelter, sanitation or protection. Women and girls face heightened risks of violence and abuse.
Local sources report that thousands of people - including older people, those with disabilities and the wounded - remain stranded and unable to flee El Fasher due to insecurity and the lack of transport options.
OCHA and its partners are on the ground coordinating life-saving assistance in Tawila, where displaced families are being hosted at overcrowded sites lacking adequate shelter, sanitation and privacy. Urgent needs include shelter, food, water, health care and protection.
Meanwhile, in North Kordofan, fighting continues to devastate communities. IOM reports that between 24,000 and 27,000 people were displaced from the locality of Um Dam Haj Ahmed yesterday.
Still in North Kordofan, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies yesterday said it was "horrified" after five Sudanese Red Crescent volunteers were killed and three went missing while distributing food in the locality of Bara. Twenty-one Red Crescent staff and volunteers have been killed since the conflict began.
OCHA stresses that civilians, humanitarian workers and medical personnel must be always protected, and once again calls on all parties to immediately halt hostilities, guarantee safe passage for civilians and aid workers, and ensure sustained humanitarian access to all affected areas.
The Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher approved a $20 million allocation for Sudan from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). This will support the scaling up of emergency support in Tawila and other locations in Darfur and the Kordofan region. This adds to $27 million already allocated from the CERF for Sudan in 2025.
Hurricane Melissa
Evacuations, relief efforts continue as Hurricane Melissa sweeps across the Caribbean
OCHA reports that Hurricane Melissa is now battering Cuba. The storm made landfall overnight near Santiago de Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of some 120 miles per hour. The hurricane is anticipated to cross the Bahamas later today and continue to bring winds, storm surge and heavy rainfall across the region, including Turks and Caicos and Haiti.
Yesterday, it struck Jamaica as the strongest storm to make landfall on the island and one of the strongest on record in the Atlantic. Authorities have declared the entire country a disaster area, reporting widespread flooding, landslides and severe damage in several parishes, including Clarendon, Manchester, St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland. It is estimated that up to 1.5 million people could be affected across the country. More than 2,300 people are in shelters. No deaths have been confirmed following the storm, but full assessments are only beginning.
So far, the Government has reported that more than half a million people are without power, and every region of Jamaica is facing blocked roads due to debris and downed power lines. Melissa has destroyed homes and significantly damaged at least four major hospitals and other infrastructure, including schools, homes and businesses. Agriculture has also been impacted.
The Government is leading the recovery and response, and the UN continues to support the national emergency authorities. An OCHA team is expected to arrive in Jamaica tomorrow to reinforce coordination and information management. Additional teams from the UN and Members States are ready to deploy, once possible, to conduct assessments and coordinate the response.
In Cuba, authorities have reported the evacuation of some 735,00 people to 900 shelters and other locations. With the Anticipatory Action Plan activated ahead of landfall, UN agencies have been able to deliver early assistance made possible by a $4 million allocation from CERF.
The World Food Programme (WFP) transported and pre-positioned nearly 700 metric tons of food, including rice, grains and oil, for more than 180,000 people for 12 days.
UNICEF delivered 1,300 hygiene kits for 6,500 people and deployed portable water-treatment plants serving 16,000 people per day. Public messaging campaigns are underway and learning materials for more than 20,000 children are being distributed.
The Food and Agriculture Organization moved agricultural inputs and seeds to the east of the country to help farmers protect irrigation systems.
The Pan American Health Organization airlifted 2.7 tons of medical supplies, including emergency health kits, generators and water tanks, from Panama.
The UN Development Programme has sent tarpaulins, generators and mattresses, while the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) is distributing sexual and reproductive health and dignity kits.
Two OCHA staff are now in Havana to support the Resident Coordinator and UN agencies. A UN Plan of Action to support 170,000 people is being finalized.
In Haiti, the Haitian government has declared a public holiday today to allow emergency teams to focus on operations.
Authorities warn of possible flooding and landslides in several departments. Early information from partners shows damage in the West department. In the commune of Petit-Goâve, authorities report 20 deaths, including 10 children.
OCHA is working closely with authorities and humanitarian partners to share information, plan collectively and monitor local conditions, despite limited logistical capacity in several areas.
Humanitarian partners have pre-positioned key supplies, including hundreds of hygiene kits in the departments of Artibonite and North-West, as well as in the town of Cap-Haïtien. IOM is preparing to help 2,000 households in Gonaïves with shelter materials and other essential items, while WFP plans to distribute cash assistance for about 4,000 households in the same area. The Haitian Red Cross and UNESCO are supporting community outreach and public information campaigns. OCHA Haiti continues to coordinate response efforts, ensuring that the Government and our partners work together efficiently to reach people in need and avoid duplication.
Ukraine
Response continues amid deadly attacks and damages to civilian infrastructure
OCHA says that attacks and hostilities across the country continue to kill and injure civilians - including children - and damage civilian infrastructure.
Today, a strike in Kherson City severely damaged a children's hospital, injuring a child and three medical workers. The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, said that a strike on a children's hospital is a matter of grave concern, adding that attacks against civilians and health facilities are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law.
Residential areas and energy infrastructure in several regions also sustained damage, leaving tens of thousands of people without electricity. National and private energy operators are working to restore supply, while critical facilities continue operating on generators.
Local authorities in the regions of Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kherson, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia report that at least one civilian was killed, 17 others were injured, and multiple homes were damaged. In the Odesa region, attacks on the town of Podilsk damaged energy infrastructure, left nearly 30,000 families without electricity and injured one civilian.
Meanwhile today, a UN humanitarian convoy - facilitated by OCHA - delivered assistance to the community of Kutsurubska in the Mykolaiv region. The convoy carried solar lamps, bed linen, hygiene and dignity kits, and first aid supplies for families in front-line villages regularly affected by shelling. This marks the third convoy to the region in 2025, reaching nearly 4,000 people in hard-hit communities.
From January to September of this year, our humanitarian partners reached more than 4 million people across Ukraine with at least one type of assistance, covering 42 per cent of people in need. More than 500 organizations provided support, with the highest number of people reached in the Dnipro, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv regions.
Three quarters of the way through the year, the $2.6 billion Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is currently 44 percent funded, with $1.15 billion received.
Posted on 29 October 2025
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