Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ukraine
UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Occupied Palestinian Territory
The impact of a full-blown offensive in Gaza city would be 'beyond catastrophic'
OCHA is deeply concerned about the risk of a looming Israeli offensive on additional parts of Gaza city. Some neighbourhoods have already seen deadly attacks in recent days. OCHA says the impact of a full-blown offensive would be beyond catastrophic - not only for those in the city but for the entire Gaza Strip.
Partners tracking population movements report that about 1,300 people have fled from northern to southern Gaza yesterday and today. This brings the total number of north-south movements since 14 August - the day the offensive on Gaza city was announced - to 20,000. Displacement is also happening within the north itself. Altogether, some 60,000 displacements originating from Gaza city have been recorded since 14 August.
Across the Gaza Strip, hundreds of thousands of families continue to live in overcrowded, undignified and unsafe conditions at displacement sites.
Today, World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director Cindy McCain called for faster approvals to move supplies into and within Gaza, as well as for safety for people to reach aid, and for humanitarian workers to reach those who need support. McCain made this statement after visiting the Gaza Strip, where she saw the destruction and desperation firsthand.
With famine now confirmed in Gaza governorate, McCain called for the right conditions to be put in place so that WFP can reinstate its vast network of 200 food distribution points, community kitchens and bakeries.
She visited a nutrition clinic that is keeping children alive and spoke with displaced mothers who described their daily struggle to survive, often searching for scraps of food but finding nothing.
The UN and its partners are bringing food assistance into Gaza every day. As WFP noted, there has been a moderate increase in the amount of humanitarian and commercial goods entering the Strip. However, this is still far below what's needed to support 2 million people, many of them in extreme hunger.
Yesterday, for the first time since March, the Food and Agriculture Organization was able to provide vital animal feed to herders in Deir al Balah. In a social media post, the agency announced that 200 herders received two 100-kilogram sacks each - a crucial step to protect livestock and help curb the spread of famine.
Meanwhile, OCHA says that delays and impediments of humanitarian movements within Gaza continue, with movements that are approved by Israeli authorities still taking hours to complete. Teams have been left waiting on roads that are often dangerous, congested or impassable. Between last Wednesday and this Tuesday, out of 89 attempts to coordinate movements with Israeli authorities across the Gaza Strip, only 59 per cent were facilitated. Another 26 per cent were initially approved but then impeded on the ground, 8 per cent were denied outright, and 7 per cent had to be withdrawn by the organizers.
Facilitated movements included the transfer of fuel and the collection of medical, nutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene supplies, as well as staff movements and rotations. Denied movements included missions aiming to repair water pipe connections and roads, and to relocate chemical supplies used to support water and sanitation.
Among the 23 impeded movements, five were fully accomplished, including to collect supplies from crossings and medically evacuate patients. The remaining 18 missions were not fully accomplished.
Ukraine
Large-scale attack kills at least 15 in Kyiv
OCHA says that civilians were killed and injured overnight in a massive attack on Ukraine's capital Kyiv.
According to authorities, at least 15 people were killed and 40 injured. Preliminary reports indicate that four of those killed and 10 of those injured were children.
Authorities report that the strikes destroyed a five-storey building and damaged over 100 residential buildings, a kindergarten, a shopping centre, media offices, the premises of humanitarian organizations, and the offices of the EU Delegation and the British Council.
The Ukrainian Railway Company also reported damage to their facilities and intercity trains, while the Nova Poshta postal service company confirmed that three employees were injured in its warehouse.
The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, condemned the attacks, stressing that they highlight the constant danger facing civilians in Kyiv and across the country.
Aid workers and local authorities responded immediately. Humanitarian organizations* provided psychosocial support and began registering affected families for cash assistance, while local authorities arranged temporary shelter for people who lost their homes.
Meanwhile, hostilities in front-line regions continue. Local authorities report that six people were killed and dozens injured yesterday and today. Damage to civilian infrastructure was also reported in the regions of Kherson, Donetsk, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro. In Sloviansk, in the Donetsk region, nearly 40 residential houses were damaged.
In the region of Vinnytsia, authorities reported that strikes on energy infrastructure left some 60,000 households - as well as private and social institutions - without electricity across 30 towns and villages. This follows earlier attacks on energy facilities in six regions, heightening concerns ahead of winter.
In the Donetsk region, nearly 200 people, including 50 children, were evacuated over the past days due to escalating fighting.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Ukraine with urgent support.
Posted on 28 August 2025
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