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Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Ethiopia, Colombia

UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Occupied Palestinian Territory

Hospitals in Gaza under strain as attacks continue, supplies run low

OCHA warns that ongoing hostilities in Gaza continue to cause more casualties, displacement, and destruction of civilian infrastructure.

During the past week, mostly in Gaza city and Deir al Balah, there were reports of attacks on tents and residential buildings, with scores of people reportedly killed, including medical staff and their families. Since October 2023, more than 1,500 medical staff have reportedly been killed in Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, as people across the Strip try to find food, mass casualty incidents continue to be reported.

Partners working in health are providing services to those injured during these mass casualty incidents, despite very limited resources. The lack of supplies is putting more pressure on hospitals already operating under severe strain and facing critical shortages of fuel, medicines and medical supplies, as well as blood and blood products.

Yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 11 trucks carrying medical supplies entered the Strip. Surgical supplies, assistive devices, orthopedic instruments and other essential medical items will be distributed to health facilities in Gaza.

This is a positive development but meets just a fraction of what is needed.

OCHA calls for the opening of all crossings, corridors and routes to ensure the consistent, frequent and large-scale distribution of aid to people in need, wherever they are.

The lack of fuel continues to severely affect life-saving operations. Today, the Ministry of Health announced that the generator at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis is about to shut down. The lives of dozens of patients, especially those on ventilators, hang in the balance if fuel is not delivered urgently.

In the north of Gaza, 10 water wells have stopped operating due to the shortage of fuel. Another 25 wells that are functioning only partially could also shut down soon. Shorter pumping hours, reduced water production and limited solid waste collection provide fertile ground for diseases spreading - especially among vulnerable people, including children, older people and pregnant women.

Partners have expressed concerns over an increase in suspected cases of meningitis among children under 5, particularly in Khan Younis and Gaza governorates. Cases of bloody diarrhea and acute jaundice syndrome have also been reported at overcrowded displacement sites.

The shortage of medical and cleaning supplies is having severe health repercussions and impeding proper response.

Partners are calling for the entry of hygiene kits and cleaning supplies. OCHA notes that since early March, no hygiene items have entered the Strip.

Meanwhile, humanitarian movements inside Gaza remain limited. Yesterday, out of 10 attempts to coordinate movements with the Israeli authorities, only three were fully facilitated. This included the collection of medical supplies brought by the 11 WHO trucks, as well as the removal of debris. Another three attempts were denied outright, including one to collect supplies from Kerem Shalom crossing. The remaining four had to be cancelled by the organizers.

Last week, partners working on education started providing prep courses at two schools in Gaza to help students sitting for the General Secondary Education Examinations, which are scheduled for later this month. This would be the first time the exam has been administered in the Strip since October 2023. Partners are preparing dozens of learning spaces to ensure that the 90,000 students expected to take the tests are safe while they sit for those exams.

Meanwhile, OCHA notes that thousands of students have been killed and injured since the onset of hostilities, and many of those who survived are having to cope with lifelong physical or psychological impacts.

Syria

UN agencies support wildfire response

OCHA reports that the UN and its partners are supporting the response led by national and local authorities in Syria to respond to wildfires, which are continuing to spread in the country's coastal areas.

UNICEF and its partners have deployed mobile teams, providing healthcare and nutrition support to children under the age of 5. The agency is also - alongside the UN Population Fund - offering psychosocial support and distributing dignity kits to women and children.

The UN has also distributed solar lamps, jerry cans and buckets.

In the province of Lattakia, local authorities report that over 14,000 hectares of agricultural land have been burned, directly affecting more than 5,000 people. Thousands have fled high-risk zones, resulting in the need for shelter, clean water and basic services.

The most affected areas include communities hosting returning refugees.

Yemen

UN Relief Chief calls for urgent action as famine-like conditions loom

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, told the Security Council today that the people of Yemen continue to need their support, as do the humanitarian workers responding with courage and tenacity.*

More than 17 million people in Yemen are going hungry - and that number could climb to over 18 million between September and February. Communities in Hajjah, Hodeida and Amran governorates are sliding back into acute food insecurity and famine-like conditions.

"I have described today what we can achieve with even limited funding in Yemen: getting cholera down 70 per cent, backing local NGOs, reaching hundreds of thousands of children who are malnourished, getting access to clean water for hundreds of thousands, and opening vital roads," he said. "We can do so much more, if you back us."

Alongside support for the efforts of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, Fletcher called on the Council to increase funding now to scale up emergency food and nutrition support; continue efforts to secure the immediate, unconditional release of detained UN, NGO and civil society colleagues; and take active steps to uphold international law to protect civilians, protect humanitarians and ensure access to those in need.

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

Sudan

Thousands flee hostilities in North Darfur

OCHA warns that the situation in Sudan's North Darfur State remains alarming, as fighting continues to drive families from their homes.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that more than 3,200 people fled Abu Shouk camp and parts of El Fasher town in the state between 26 June and 6 July, seeking safety in places like As Serief, Tawila and At Tina.

Yesterday, shelling reportedly hit the market area inside Abu Shouk camp, killing three civilians and injuring many more. Famine was confirmed at this displacement camp late last year. This tragic incident is a stark reminder of the toll the conflict is taking on civilians and deepens concerns about their protection.

OCHA once again reminds the parties of their firm obligations under international humanitarian law: They must never direct attacks against civilians or civilian objects and must take all feasible precautions to spare them. Food and other supplies civilians need to survive must be protected.

In the Kordofan region, the humanitarian situation is also deteriorating. Ongoing violence is forcing more people to flee, often into areas with little or no assistance. IOM reports that on 5 July, nearly 800 people were displaced from Bara locality in North Kordofan State and are now sheltering in White Nile State.

Despite the challenges, humanitarian partners are doing everything they can to keep services running. In North Darfur, they are supporting more than 1.7 million people with basic healthcare, using both remaining health facilities and mobile clinics. However, medical supplies are running critically low.

The UN and its partners are rushing assistance into the Darfur region. A humanitarian convoy that crossed into Darfur from Chad on 6 July - led by the Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator, Antoine Gerard - is carrying 180 metric tons of life-saving relief items for almost 400,000 conflict-affected and displaced people in East and South Darfur states.

Meanwhile, flash flooding threatens to make it more difficult for humanitarians to reach people in need. Today in eastern Sudan, heavy rains triggered flash floods in the Northern Delta locality of Kassala State. This comes as authorities began releasing water from several major dams to manage rising floodwaters. OCHA is closely monitoring the situation.

OCHA reiterates the need for safe and unimpeded humanitarian access and calls on the international community to scale up support for the most vulnerable people of Sudan.

This year's US$4.2 billion response plan for the country is less than a quarter funded, halfway into the year - with just $917 million received to date.

Ethiopia

UN Relief Chief fast-tracks aid for refugees, host communities

Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher has allocated $3 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to provide life-saving assistance to South Sudanese refugees arriving in the Gambela region, in western Ethiopia.

At least 35,000 people fleeing escalating violence in South Sudan have crossed the border into Ethiopia's Gambela region. The influx is stretching already limited resources, and refugees face extremely difficult conditions - without access to adequate food, shelter and other basic services.

The new funding from CERF will support both refugees and the communities hosting them - prioritizing food, protection, shelter, clean water, sanitation, health and other critical support for vulnerable groups, including women and children who have yet to receive any assistance.

Colombia

UN inter-agency mission highlights needs, response in Catatumbo

OCHA says that between 25 and 27 June, a high-level inter-agency mission visited the department of Norte de Santander in Colombia to assess the humanitarian situation in Catatumbo and monitor the implementation of CERF-funded interventions.

Led by the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Ms. Mireia Villar-Forner - and joined by OCHA, UNICEF, the UN Refugee Agency, and the World Food Programme - the mission aimed to assess firsthand the impact of the CERF-funded interventions, understand the current humanitarian challenges in one of Colombia's most affected regions, and establish concrete commitments to strengthen coordinated response efforts.

The mission highlighted the positive impact of rapid, CERF-funded assistance in food security, education, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene, and protection - reaching approximately 64,700 people, or 62 per cent of those affected by the crisis. Joint efforts have also improved humanitarian access and territorial coverage, despite ongoing challenges.

Local authorities raised concerns over rising school dropout rates, the recruitment and use of children and adolescents, and the specific vulnerabilities of Indigenous people due to humanitarian access restrictions. The mission highlighted continuous limited access to basic services, protection risks and security constraints, emphasizing the urgent need to uphold humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law.

The humanitarian response in Colombia is also limited due to lack of funding, as this year's response plan seeking $342 million is less than 17 per cent funded, with $57 million received to date.

Posted on 9 July 2025