Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Sudan
UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Tens of thousands affected by latest displacement order in Gaza
OCHA reports that amid ongoing hostilities in Gaza, the Israeli military continues to issue displacement orders - telling people to relocate to Al Mawasi, an already overcrowded area lacking the basics for survival.
Today's displacement order covers approximately nine square kilometres, encompassing 11 neighbourhoods across Gaza and North Gaza governorates, where at least 120,000 people are estimated to be residing.
OCHA underscores that civilians must be protected, including those fleeing and forced to leave through displacement orders, as well as those who remain despite those orders.
As displacement and bombardments continue, food insecurity is also worsening.
Last week, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said that there is very little dry food remaining in Gaza, as malnutrition among children spreads. The agency added that UNRWA has life-saving food, medicines and other basics - worth at least 6,000 truckloads - that have been waiting months for the green light to enter Gaza.
On the fuel crisis, OCHA reports that Israeli authorities continue to allow the entry of limited supplies of fuel - so far at a rate of about 75,000 litres per working day, with nothing allowed over the weekend and a lag of a day or two before fuel can be collected from the Palestinian side. The UN and its partners reiterate that hundreds of thousands of litres of fuel are critically needed every day to keep life-saving services going.
Inside Gaza, planned UN missions to deliver aid and services continue to face significant access challenges. Many are either denied outright or obstructed due to unpredictable and lengthy coordination procedures.
The restrictive operational environment is making it increasingly difficult to deliver core humanitarian services - including food, healthcare, shelter, water, sanitation, protection and education - which is further worsening an already catastrophic situation.
The UN and its partners reiterate their call for the Israeli authorities to allow and facilitate the unimpeded and safe flow of humanitarian and commercial supplies into Gaza - swiftly and at the scale necessary to save survivors.
Syria
As-Sweida hostilities displace civilians, disrupt critical services
OCHA reports that hostilities in the southern Syrian governorate of As-Sweida in recent days have led to significant displacement of civilians, as well as reports of civilian casualties.
Humanitarian partners warn that medical services are overstretched, and that markets and basic services such as electricity, water and education have been disrupted.
UN aid operations are still suspended in affected areas, as movements along main roads have been disrupted. However, teams are mobilizing to be able to respond once the situation allows.
In a social media post yesterday, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, called for calm and for civilians to be protected.
Meanwhile, OCHA reports that the UN and its partners continue to provide assistance to communities affected by recent wildfires in the coastal governorate of Lattakia, in coordination with Syrian authorities.
The fires are now largely under control, though sporadic blazes have continued. More than 1,100 people have been displaced and over 14,000 people have been affected overall, with large areas of farmland destroyed.
UN agencies, along with NGO partners and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, are providing a range of support, including bread and ready-to-eat meals, clean water, solar lamps, jerry cans and other critical household items. Mobile teams are providing health and nutrition services, and work is underway to help rehabilitate damaged schools.
Sudan
Scores reportedly killed in Kordofan attacks
OCHA is gravely concerned over reports of brutal attacks on villages in Sudan's Kordofan region, as hostilities continue to escalate.
Between 10 and 13 July, attacks on villages in the locality of Bara in North Kordofan State reportedly left at least 300 people dead, including children and pregnant women, and many more injured. Homes were looted and burned, and people displaced. Ongoing communications disruptions in the area are making it difficult to confirm the exact number of civilians killed.
OCHA is also alarmed by reports of renewed shelling in Al Obeid, the state capital, which is deepening fears and insecurity among civilians.
In West Kordofan State, attacks on the villages of Al Fula and Abu Zabad between 10 and 13 July reportedly killed more than 20 people, including victims of an air strike on a school sheltering displaced families. Humanitarian operations have also been affected.
These incidents are yet another tragic reminder of the relentless toll the conflict is taking on civilians across Sudan. OCHA emphasizes that civilians and civilian infrastructure - including schools, homes, shelters and humanitarian assets - must never be targeted, and calls on all parties to the conflict to fully respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.
People fleeing North Kordofan - as well as El Fasher in North Darfur State - continue to seek out safety in other parts of the country, including Northern State. Humanitarian partners there report that more than 3,000 people displaced people have arrived in the locality of Ad-Dabbah since June. While some have received food assistance, the steady influx of newly displaced families is putting more pressure on already stretched resources.
OCHA warns that the rainy season is bringing further hardship. In eastern Sudan on Sunday, heavy rain and strong winds destroyed or damaged shelters and food supplies for about 2,700 displaced people at two sites in Gedaref. A rapid assessment conducted by OCHA and its partners yesterday found that most of the affected families wish to return to their areas of origin but need support to do so.
Across Sudan, more than 1.3 million people have returned to their home areas since November 2024, according to the International Organization for Migration. The vast majority returned to Aj Jazirah, Sennar and Khartoum states, but they face worsening living conditions and shortages of basic services.
OCHA continues to appeal for urgent and increased support to reach millions of vulnerable people across Sudan* and thanks the generous donors who have so far contributed to this year's humanitarian response plan for the country, which is nearly 23 per cent funded, with about US$950 million received to date.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Sudan with urgent support.
Posted on 15 July 2025
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