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Today's top news: Sudan, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Qatar, Hurricane Melissa, Afghanistan

UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Sudan

Families displaced from El Fasher face dire conditions

OCHA warns of a dire humanitarian situation for thousands of families displaced from El Fasher, in Sudan's North Darfur State, following recent violence.

Across the locality of Tawila and surrounding areas, displaced people are living in extremely harsh conditions - without adequate food, clean water, shelter or medical care.

Humanitarian organizations are working with local partners to support the establishment of new displacement camps to accommodate recent arrivals from El Fasher, adding to the more than 650,000 displaced people who had already sought refuge in Tawila.

In the Tawila Al Omda displacement camp alone, more than 3,000 recent arrivals are in urgent need of basic items and shelter assistance - including plastic sheeting, mats and blankets as temperatures drop. Many - including the injured, people with disabilities, and unaccompanied children - are sleeping in the open without protection or sanitation facilities.

Similar conditions prevail in the camps of Daba Al Naira and Um Jangour, where over 6,500 people who recently escaped attacks in El Fasher lack shelter and essential supplies.

On Tuesday, an inter-agency mission led by the Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Antoine Gérard, arrived in Tawila to engage with affected people and local communities, assess needs, and strengthen the ongoing response.

Meanwhile, partners report that hundreds of displaced families who fled El Fasher on foot have reached Al Dabba locality in Northern State, after days of walking through harsh conditions. Some 2,800 people are now sheltering in overcrowded sites with little access to food, water or medical assistance, and many lost family members during the journey.

With more families expected to arrive in the coming days, urgent assistance is needed - including food, medical care, psychosocial support, shelter and warm clothing - especially as temperatures drop. The UN and its partners are mobilizing additional emergency supplies for the area, but available stocks are limited.

Meanwhile, fighting continues in West Kordofan State, with civilian casualties reported in recent clashes. Dozens of families displaced from Al-Udayyah locality have reached El Obeid in neighbouring North Kordofan after fleeing attacks near An-Nahud over the past two weeks. The situation in the area remains highly volatile and dynamic, with displacement out of El Obeid also having been reported in recent days by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Many arriving in El Obeid are exhausted and hungry after several days on foot. Some 250 displaced people are currently staying in four temporary shelters with minimal access to basic services. Local authorities and organizations have established communal kitchens, but food stocks are running low.

With the onset of colder weather, displaced families urgently need blankets, mosquito nets, warm clothing and medical assistance for children, older people, and those suffering from chronic illness.

OCHA stresses that urgent additional support is needed to meet rising humanitarian needs in the Darfur and Kordofan regions.* This year's humanitarian response plan for Sudan is only 28 per cent funded in the face of these needs - with US$1.17 billion received to date of the $4.16 billion required.

*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Sudan with urgent support.

Occupied Palestinian Territory

Humanitarians provide vital aid in Gaza as part of 60-day scale-up

OCHA says that continued detonations of residential buildings have been reported daily in multiple areas of the Gaza Strip where the Israeli military remains deployed, especially in eastern Khan Younis, eastern Gaza city and Rafah. Israeli military strikes near or east of the so-called "Yellow Line" also continue to be reported, resulting in casualties, especially in Gaza city, and Deir al Balah and Khan Younis governorates.

OCHA stresses that these military activities put civilians - including aid workers - at risk and reminds the Israeli military of its obligation to take constant care to spare them throughout its operations.

Meanwhile, partners monitoring population movements report that families continue to move across the Strip. More than 680,000 movements from southern to northern Gaza have been observed since the onset of the ceasefire, while nearly 113,000 movements from western to eastern Khan Younis have also been observed.

However, partners say that many displaced people have reported a desire to remain in their current locations due to widespread destruction, lack of alternatives, and continued uncertainty about safety and services in their areas of origin.

Against this backdrop, the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to reach people in need where access allows and provide life-saving assistance, including food, health, water and sanitation services, shelter and other essential items, in line with the 60-day plan.

Partners report that since the ceasefire and as of Monday, they have distributed multi-purpose cash assistance to over 55,000 households, compared with 40,000 in September. Each household received the equivalent of about $378 in digital payments. Partners note that households are mainly spending cash assistance on food such as grains, vegetables and pulses, while also using funds to repay debts and purchase hygiene items and medicines.

OCHA says that the impact of the humanitarian scale-up in Gaza is already clear. Yet the UN and its partners can do more when other impediments are lifted. For instance, some relief items rejected for entry into Gaza are ones which Israeli authorities deem to fall outside the scope of humanitarian aid. Other items are classified as "dual-use" - ranging from vehicles and their spare parts to solar panels, some types of mobile latrines, X-ray machines and generators.

Partners report that since the ceasefire, the Israeli authorities have rejected 107 requests for the entry of relief materials - including blankets, winter clothes, and tools and material to maintain and operate water, sanitation and hygiene services. Almost 90 per cent of these rejected requests were from over 30 local and international NGOs, of which more than half of the requests were denied on the grounds that the organizations were not authorized to bring relief items into Gaza.

Another impediment that humanitarians are facing is the lack of sufficient warehouse capacity inside the Strip, which is vital to sustain the 60-day response plan and maintain supply chains.

Qatar

UN Deputy Relief Chief meets senior officials and humanitarian partners

The Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Joyce Msuya, wrapped up a five-day visit to Qatar today.

Ms. Msuya met senior Qatari officials and held discussions with the heads of Qatar Charity, the Qatar Red Crescent Society, the Qatar Fund for Development and other partners on strengthening cooperation in responding to humanitarian emergencies.

She also took part in the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, including a panel on the role of women in peacebuilding, and met on the margins with officials from around the world also attending the event.

Earlier today, Ms. Msuya announced a new partnership between OCHA and Qatar Airways. The collaboration includes a global in-flight video campaign highlighting the importance of humanitarian aid and solidarity with people in crisis.

She took part in an event with Qatar Charity on making humanitarian action more accountable to the people it serves.

Ms. Msuya's visit to Qatar underscored the country's steady and long-term partnership with OCHA, at a time when the humanitarian system is overstretched, underfunded and increasingly under attack.

Hurricane Melissa

UN and partners assist hurricane-hit communities

OCHA says that humanitarians continue to support people in the Caribbean impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

In Jamaica, some 1.5 million people have been affected, having lost homes, water, electricity and livelihoods.

Authorities have confirmed 32 deaths to date, with nearly 36,000 people in need of food assistance. More than 100,000 housing structures have been damaged.

At least 30 communities are still cut off - and electricity, telecommunications and radio signals remain severely disrupted in some parishes.

The UN - supported by an OCHA-led 16-member UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team - is coordinating relief efforts with the Government and partners.

More than 60 organizations - including authorities, donors, NGOs, UN agencies and the private sector - have signed on to the OCHA-led system to register assistance, offers and deliveries.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is airlifting more food from Barbados, enough for 6,000 households for up to a week.

In Cuba, where the UN launched the Plan of Action yesterday to help 1 million of the hardest-hit people in support of authorities' efforts, OCHA warns the humanitarian situation is dire.

Some 120,000 people remain in shelters due to continued flooding, overflowing rivers and landslides, and 29 communities remain isolated.

More than 45,000 housing structures, nearly 500 health facilities and over 1,500 educational centers have sustained damage.

Afghanistan

Aid organizations expand response efforts after deadly earthquake

OCHA reports that the UN and its partners are scaling up their response following the earthquake that struck northern Afghanistan on Monday.

According to authorities, 25 people have been killed and nearly 1,000 have been injured.

Assessments by the UN found that some 800 houses were damaged, although the number could rise further as additional evaluations take place.

An aerial survey conducted just after the earthquake found no major structural damage: roads remain passable, water continues to flow through irrigation channels, and key community infrastructure appears largely intact.

Immediate priorities include emergency shelter - such as winterized tents, blankets and tarps - as well as warm clothing, cash for heating, and repair kits for damaged homes.

There is also an urgent need for additional health support, particularly mobile clinics, trauma care for remote areas, and ambulance and referral capacity.

The UN and its partners are on the ground delivering aid. IOM is providing tents, emergency shelter kits and blankets. UNICEF and its partners are also distributing clothes and hygiene kits, while WFP is delivering food packages, including high-energy biscuits.

On the health front, the World Health Organization and its partners delivered emergency medical supplies and are assisting local authorities with coordination and service delivery.

The UN continues to call on Member States to support the people of Afghanistan to meet their humanitarian needs. The $2.4 billion Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is just 35 per cent funded, with more than $850 million received so far.

Posted on 6 November 2025