• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Sudan, Ukraine, Myanmar

UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Occupied Palestinian Territory

OCHA warns that ground operation could push thousands 'over the edge'

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that air strikes and shelling have intensified in parts of Gaza city over the past couple of days, as attacks also continue in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. Strikes are hitting residential buildings and tents housing displaced people, resulting in a high number of deaths and injuries.

OCHA warns that if the announced Israeli ground operation in Gaza city moves ahead, thousands of families already enduring appalling humanitarian conditions could be pushed over the edge.

With 86 per cent of the Gaza Strip now in Israeli-militarized zones or under displacement orders, aid groups lack the access and supplies to address their dire needs at the scale required. Any further loss of space, more mass displacement orders, or intensified attacks in populated areas would have devastating consequences.

In this context, OCHA notes that the Israeli ban on the entry of shelter materials has been in effect for over five months. In recent days, temperatures have soared, and hundreds of thousands of people are now left without protection from the heat. Nearly everyone in Gaza has been displaced at least once since the war began, and the makeshift shelters they managed to improvise or acquire have often either worn out or been abandoned in the rush to flee.

Meanwhile, yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) supported the medical evacuation of 38 patients from Gaza, mostly children, alongside nearly 100 companions. They were taken to Italy, Belgium and Türkiye. In a social media post, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that more than 14,800 patients still need life-saving medical care that is not available in Gaza.

He called on more countries to step forward and offer support - and for referral routes to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to be restored before it is too late. WHO also reiterated the UN's shared call for a ceasefire, stressing that peace is the best medicine.

Syria

UN, partners provide vital support in southern areas

OCHA reports that the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to deliver vital assistance to people affected by recent violence in southern Syria, despite ongoing insecurity and operational challenges. However, OCHA stresses that more support is urgently needed.

More than 190,000 people were displaced by the recent violence, which has also disrupted basic services and commercial supplies. Over the past week, more than 920 families have left As-Sweida Governorate, while some 370 families returned, according to Syria Civil Defense.

In the governorates of As-Sweida, Dar'a and Rural Damascus, UN agencies and their partners are supporting both people who have been displaced and the communities hosting them.

Between 5 August and yesterday, the UN supported four aid convoys through the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), which yesterday delivered critical assistance to As-Sweida, including food, hygiene kits, medical supplies and fuel to restore water access. One of the convoys numbered 21 trucks that delivered 250 metric tons of flour, as well as food baskets, water containers, fuel and seven dialysis machines. The World Food Programme and UNICEF provided some of these supplies.

However, OCHA warns that ongoing insecurity and sporadic violence continues to affect humanitarian access to As-Sweida. Just last week, a SARC convoy came under fire in Dar'a Governorate. The UN continues to engage closely with Syrian authorities and other partners to strengthen the response.

Sudan

Cholera spreads, reportedly killing 40 in Darfur in a single week

OCHA is alarmed by the rapid spread of cholera in different parts of Sudan, particularly in the Darfur region.

In the past week alone, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) recorded 40 cholera deaths in the region, with MSF providing treatment to more than 2,300 patients at facilities run by the Ministry of Health.

The organization added that the cholera treatment centre has been overwhelmed in Tawila, where hundreds of thousands of people are hosted after fleeing fierce hostilities in and around El Fasher, North Darfur State's capital.

Last month, Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher allocated US$5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to support the cholera response in Sudan - but more resources are needed without delay. Humanitarian partners require $50 million to sustain their cholera operations through the end of the year.

Meanwhile, OCHA warns that active fighting, insecurity and bureaucratic impediments continue to block or delay access to areas affected by famine and other locations of acute need. El Fasher in North Darfur remains besieged and cut off from humanitarian support. Some families trapped in the city are reportedly surviving on animal feed and food waste.

Humanitarian access is also constrained in the Kordofan region, where fighting persists along key supply routes. The closure of these routes has severely disrupted the delivery of vital goods and worsened economic conditions, triggering displacement and a worsening of the humanitarian situation.

As nutrition needs deepen, the humanitarian community is responding where it can. Last month in East Darfur State, partners - supported by UNICEF - screened 32,000 children under the age of 5 for malnutrition to identify acute cases and refer children for treatment. A similar effort in June reached 15,000 children.

OCHA reiterates that all parties engaged in the conflict must adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law, including facilitating unimpeded humanitarian access and protecting civilians from harm.

Ukraine

Civilians face daily threat of hostilities, displacement

OCHA reports that as front lines in Ukraine shift, intense hostilities continue to inflict a heavy toll on civilians on a daily basis, causing widespread destruction and forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.

In the Donetsk Region, where fighting has escalated, Ukrainian authorities ordered the mandatory evacuation of families with children from over a dozen towns and villages. Between Monday and Wednesday this week, authorities report that more than 6,000 people fled high-risk communities along the front lines, either through organized evacuations or on their own.

Relentless attacks are also impeding both the evacuation of civilians and the delivery of aid to Pokrovsk Town, located just a kilometre from the front line. Local authorities estimate that more than 1,000 people are still living there. Humanitarian access is also worsening in Kostiantynivka Town, where approximately 7,000 residents need urgent support.

Aid organizations are working around the clock to assist those fleeing the violence, and providing transportation and other assistance at transit sites for newly displaced people.

In Kherson City, humanitarians are supporting residents displaced from the Korabel District following repeated strikes that damaged a critical bridge earlier this month. Aid workers are providing medical care, psychosocial and legal support, hygiene supplies, clothing, bedding and cash aid. As of 12 August, nearly 2,000 people had received assistance at a temporary evacuation centre in Kherson City - including more than 1,000 older people, as well as people with disabilities and children.

The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, is visiting the south of Ukraine today. He met with displaced people in a community centre in Mykolaiv and discussed urgent needs with humanitarian partners and the local authorities.

Myanmar

Fighting, floods deepen humanitarian needs

Myanmar continues to grapple with repeated shocks, including devastating conflict, flooding and other disasters that have stripped millions of people of their homes or shelter, livelihoods and sense of safety.

Conflict between the Myanmar Armed Forces and various non-state armed groups continues to force civilians to flee their homes, exposing them to serious harm and protection risks.

Since early July, heavy rains have triggered widespread flooding and landslides, displacing families and damaging homes, roads and other critical infrastructure.

The UN and its humanitarian partners have reached nearly 1.3 million people affected by the 28 March earthquakes. However, underfunding continues to constrain the response.

Funding cuts have forced reductions across all sectors of the humanitarian response, leaving vulnerable people in desperate and dangerous situations. Myanmar remains one of the world's most underfunded humanitarian operations, with less than $136 million received of the $1.1 billion needed for this year's appeal - just 12 per cent. It is critical that donors step up funding* to support a scale-up of life-saving assistance.

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

Posted on 14 August 2025