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Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Central Emergency Response Fund

UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Occupied Palestinian Territory

Military operations, supply shortages drive devastation in Gaza

OCHA warns that the already dire situation in Gaza could worsen without a reliable, rapid, safe and unrestricted flow of supplies into the Strip.

It is imperative that humanitarians are enabled to deliver aid at scale, using community-based mechanisms to reach the most vulnerable. Without these conditions in place - and if military operations continue or escalate - more deaths, forced displacement and destruction are inevitable.

OCHA reports that people in Gaza are gravely concerned by the potential impact of an expansion of military operations in Gaza city. The UN reiterates that it will not participate in any forced displacement of the population. Fleeing civilians must be protected and have their essential needs met, and they must be able to voluntarily return when the situation allows.

The UN continues to receive extremely disturbing reports of aid seekers being killed and injured. Between 27 May and 8 August, the Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah treated more than 4,500 wounded patients, most of whom reported that they were injured while trying to reach food distribution sites. People also report being injured in the crush of the crowd or being beaten and robbed of their supplies immediately after receiving them.

Between 27 May and 13 August, the UN Human Rights Office recorded that at least 1,760 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid - 994 in the vicinity of the non-UN militarized sites and 766 along the routes of supply convoys. No one should be killed for trying to access aid.

A key necessity for unhindered humanitarian operations is public order and safety. OCHA reiterates that more diverse supplies and routes must be made routinely available so that humanitarians can deliver aid wherever it is needed and build confidence within communities that those supplies will reach them.

The UN and its humanitarian partners report that ongoing delays and other impediments - including bottlenecks at holding points and interference in the loading process at the platforms - are impacting their efforts to collect supplies from the crossings and bring them to people in need. Yesterday, five out of 12 missions requiring coordination with Israeli authorities were facilitated without impediments. They included the collection of supplies from Kerem Shalom and the transfer of fuel to the north. Four missions were canceled by the organizers, while three others were impeded and only eventually fully accomplished - these included the collection of food aid from Zikim and Kerem Shalom crossings.

As the starvation crisis in Gaza continues, more deaths are being reported - including many children, who are regularly admitted to hospitals for malnutrition. The World Health Organization warns that many healthcare facilities have run out of bedspace to treat malnourished patients. Access to healthcare must be restored immediately.

Although the slight easing on the entry of commercial supplies has reportedly led to a drop in the price of some food items at local markets, energy prices have skyrocketed. Cooking gas has not been available in markets for the past five months, and firewood has become even less affordable. More people are resorting to using waste and scrap wood as alternative fuel sources for cooking, which exacerbates health and protection risks, and causes environmental hazards. Partners working on food security warn that both the quantity and quality of supplies entering Gaza remain far below the minimum requirements to meet people's needs.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Deadly violence fuels displacement in Djugu territory

OCHA reports that in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, insecurity is on the rise in Djugu territory, which is in the Ituri province.

Local authorities and humanitarian partners on the ground report that over the past month, clashes between various armed groups and the Congolese armed forces in several areas resulted in almost 50 civilian deaths and more than 30 injuries in Djugu territory.

During the same period, violence and insecurity displaced more than 80,000 people there. Homes have been looted and burned, and those who fled are now sheltering in schools, churches and other public buildings. Attacks have also targeted three sites hosting internally displaced people.

The clashes have severely hampered access, depriving some 250,000 people of essential services. In the Nizi health zone alone, in Djugu territory, nine out of the 12 health facilities are now inoperable.

The UN and its humanitarian partners are ready to respond but need unimpeded and safe access to affected communities.

OCHA calls on all parties to take urgent measures to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian access. Civilians must be protected, in accordance with international humanitarian law.

Afghanistan

Stepped-up funding urgent as needs deepen

OCHA warns that more than half of Afghanistan's population needs vital aid, four years after the de-facto Taliban regime took over the country.

Women and girls are especially vulnerable. The de facto authorities have imposed a series of increasingly restrictive policies, which has excluded women and girls from education, the workforce and public life.

OCHA stresses that humanitarian aid is a lifeline for women and girls who are otherwise unable to access essential assistance and services. The continued presence of humanitarian workers in Afghanistan is also a vital form of protection by presence.

Needs are increasing as the number of returnees to Afghanistan swells: Since the start of the year, some 1.7 million Afghan citizens have returned to the country from Iran and Pakistan. Most have limited ties to the local communities and are struggling to find shelter and economic opportunities. Host communities themselves also lack adequate services and resources.

To support the response, the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) recently released US$10 million - and additional funding is in the pipeline from the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, which OCHA manages. Yet in the wake of deep funding cuts, more resources are needed to ensure that people's needs are met. The humanitarian community in Afghanistan is already preparing for another influx of returnees following the recent deadline by the Government of Pakistan for Afghan Proof of Registration cardholders to leave the country by 1 September.

Meanwhile, almost all provinces in Afghanistan have seen below-average rainfall this year, with drought alerts issued across the northern, northeastern, central highlands and western regions.

OCHA stresses that additional funding* is urgently needed to support the people of Afghanistan. This year's Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is just over a quarter funded, with $624 million received of the $2.4 billion required.

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

Ukraine

Aid convoy reaches Kherson Region

OCHA reports that today, a humanitarian convoy delivered vital aid to the front-line Kherson Region in Ukraine.

The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, led the convoy, which was organized by UN agencies and humanitarian partners. It delivered 30 metric tons of medicines, water, and hygiene and dignity kits for nearly 500 residents.

This assistance remains vital; both civilians and humanitarians are facing growing insecurity in the area, including from drone attacks. So far this year, the UN and its partners have sent 18 humanitarian convoys to front-line communities in the Kherson Region, carrying supplies to support nearly 20,000 residents.

Yesterday, the Humanitarian Coordinator, together with partners, was in the Mykolaiv Region, visiting the sites of recent attacks and seeing recovery and development projects. This year, the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund - which is the largest country-based pooled fund in the world - has provided $7 million, mostly to local NGOs, to deliver time-critical humanitarian support to 35,000 residents in the Mykolaiv Region.

Meanwhile, OCHA warns that ongoing hostilities are causing further displacement in the Donetsk Region. As the security situation worsens near the front-line town of Pokrovsk, local authorities said that yesterday alone, nearly 5,700 civilians - including families with children - were evacuated in the Donetsk Region.

As noted by the Humanitarian Coordinator, donor support remains critical as aid organizations continue to assist people fleeing hostilities and those remaining in front-line communities.

Central Emergency Response Fund

Secretary-General appoints 12 new advisers to UN emergency fund

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed 12 new members to the Advisory Group of CERF.

This body, which provides policy guidance and advice on the use and impact of CERF, has a total 23 members from all over the world who serve a single three-year term. CERF's new set of advisers hail from Azerbaijan, Canada, Côte d'Ivoire, Denmark, Gambia, Germany, Netherlands, Niger, Norway, Qatar, South Africa and Sweden.

"With humanitarian needs outpacing available resources, CERF is more crucial than ever - a trusted, indispensable tool enabling rapid, effective responses to crises worldwide," said Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher. "I thank the members of the Advisory Group who have put in such a strong shift, and I look forward to working with the new advisers who I know will bring energy and creativity to this vital work."

In the first half of this year alone, CERF released $214 million to help people in two dozen countries, including to get ahead of a drought in Afghanistan and to back climate resilience in eight countries.

Over the past 19 years, CERF has channeled over $9 billion in life-saving aid to people in need in over 110 countries and territories. This has been made possible by contributions from 143 Member States and observers and other donors.

Posted on 15 August 2025