Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Haiti, Pakistan
UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Last lifelines for Gaza city civilians collapsing amid intensified military operations
OCHA warns that the last remaining lifelines for civilians in Gaza city are collapsing amid intensified military operations there, which are causing more casualties, mass displacement, destruction of facilities essential for people's survival, and tighter restrictions on humanitarian work.
In just five days, 11 UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) premises serving as emergency shelters for about 11,000 people in Gaza city have been damaged after taking direct or indirect hits.
Partners tracking the movement of people in Gaza report that the number of displacements within the Strip is rising fast, now exceeding 1 million since the ceasefire collapsed in mid-March. Some 200,000 displacements have been recorded from northern to southern Gaza over the past month alone - including 56,000 since Sunday, as of yesterday.
OCHA is alarmed by increasing reports of displaced families sleeping on the streets or in makeshift tents and struggling to survive.
Despite heavy restrictions, the UN and its partners are doing everything possible to reach people across Gaza with life-saving support. OCHA's latest reporting on the response provides updates on what humanitarians have been able to deliver in the first half of September:
To tackle famine and food insecurity, humanitarian teams collected over 12,500 metric tons of wheat flour, food parcels and bulk supplies from the Israeli-controlled crossings. Every day, they served nearly 560,000 meals through 116 kitchens and provided 10,000 loaves of bread to those moving to the south.
To address malnutrition, the UN and its partners have continued to screen children and enrol them for treatment. UNICEF dispatched over 200,000 packs of nutrient-rich baby food to partners, enough to support over 63,000 infants and young children for two weeks. They also dispatched 10,000 boxes of high-energy biscuits, enough to assist more than 10,000 acutely malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women for one month.
On the health front, teams collected nearly 900 pallets of essential medical supplies from the crossings and are delivering them to health facilities. They also dispatched 120 ICU and emergency beds and four anesthesia machines to Al Aqsa hospital in Deir al Balah; brought in over 500 wheelchairs; distributed contraceptive pills and reproductive health kits; reopened the Japanese Health Centre in Khan Younis; trained local staff; supported surgical, emergency and non-communicable disease services through the deployment of emergency medical teams; and evacuated 30 critical patients abroad.
To mitigate catastrophic water shortages amid ongoing restrictions and hostilities, the UN and its humanitarian partners supported desalination and trucked water across all parts of Gaza.
They also scaled up solid waste collection and the safe disposal of nearly 1,300 cubic metres of trash daily. Meanwhile, they distributed 1,000 hygiene kits, 1,500 cleaning kits, and another 1,500 water storage kits.
To provide some protection support to people, teams assessed explosive hazards risks and conducted over 700 sessions to educate more than 20,000 people on the related risks. They also provided case management for survivors of gender-based violence and 900 at-risk children, as well as legal aid services for over 500 women, psychological first aid for over 200 women and girls, and structured psychosocial support for nearly 600 women and girls.
These are only a few examples, but to be very clear: The aid reaching people falls far short of what they need - and the cost is measured in lives. OCHA warns that opportunities to support starving people are being systematically blocked. Every week, new restrictions are imposed.
For example, Zikim - the only crossing directly into the north, where famine has been confirmed - has been shut since the weekend. Israeli authorities have also classified some food items, such as peanut butter, as "luxuries" not allowed in, leaving large amounts of already-procured aid stuck outside Gaza. On top of this, inspection rules vary by route, creating unpredictability and needless delays.
Inside Gaza, humanitarian movements are also being blocked. Just yesterday, three of 14 coordinated movements were denied - including two intended to bring food to the north. Two other missions faced obstacles that meant they could only be partially completed or prevented them from being carried out at all. This meant wasted time and human resources, missed opportunities to reach people in need, and aid workers being needlessly exposed to risks.
OCHA stresses once again how important it is for the UN and its partners to be able to resume large-scale, community-based humanitarian response. What is needed is a ceasefire, hundreds of trucks a day, safe and open routes, an end to bureaucratic delays, restoration of power and water, and more meaningful commercial imports. Arbitrarily detained Palestinians must be freed. The hostages must be released - immediately and unconditionally.
Syria
UN Relief Chief urges Security Council to back Syrian-led recovery with urgent investment
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, told the Security Council today that the upcoming High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly will be a critical moment for Syria, which remains one of the largest humanitarian emergencies globally.
More than 70 per cent of the population still needs some form of humanitarian aid, over 9 million are acutely food insecure, and some 7 million are internally displaced - with more than 4 million refugees in neighbouring countries.
Yet despite severe funding restrictions - and thanks to collaborative efforts - Fletcher said that the UN and its partners are getting critical aid to an average of nearly 3.5 million people across Syria each month - a 25 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
"Despite this progress, I warn again we risk missing a rare opportunity for the people of Syria," the Under-Secretary-General added. "Our humanitarian appeal this year is only 18 per cent funded, meaning we can reach just a fraction of those in need."
Fletcher appealed for more funding for the response, sustained engagement to preserve stability and prevent renewed violence, and efforts to enable a Syrian-led recovery by translating pledges into concrete investment.
Haiti
Deadly attack in West department displaced over 4,700 people
OCHA reports that last week's deadly attack in the commune of Cabaret, in Haiti's West department, forced thousands of people to flee their homes. In a statement on Saturday, Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the reported killing of at least 40 people, including women, children and older people.
The International Organization for Migration reports that the attacks drove more than 4,700 people from their homes. Over two thirds of them sought safety in the nearby commune of Arcahaie. While the majority of the displaced are being hosted by families, 23 per cent have taken shelter in four schools.
These attacks underscore the worsening security and humanitarian situation in Haiti. They also come less than a month before the start of the new school year - further deepening the education crisis, as several schools already under strain are now being used as displacement sites, disrupting the lives of both students and teachers.
Forced displacements, destruction and attacks against people are driving up humanitarian needs, compounding existing crises in health, nutrition and education.
OCHA is coordinating the response to ensure that life-saving assistance reaches the most vulnerable, despite extremely challenging conditions. The humanitarian response in Haiti remains severely underfunded*, with less than 13 per cent of the US$908 million needed for this year received to date.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Haiti with urgent support.
Pakistan
UN and partners support response to devastating floods
OCHA reports that humanitarian needs persist following this year's monsoon floods in Pakistan.
Since the end of June, nearly 7 million people have been impacted in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Sindh. Nearly 3 million people have been evacuated, with 150,000 people sheltering in 1,580 evacuation centres set up by provincial authorities.
The UN and its humanitarian partners continue to support the Government-led response. To date, UNICEF has provided more than 2 tons of essential medicine to the north in the capital of Punjab's province, Lahore, and over 2 tons to the south, in the city of Multan. These medicines are being distributed across districts to support health centres. UNICEF has also provided nutrition supplies and safe drinking water, relocated school materials, and established temporary learning centres.
The World Food Programme is delivering food, nutrition services, cash assistance and logistics support across Punjab and Sindh.
As people begin to return to their homes, additional funding is needed to provide assistance and rehabilitate basic infrastructure.
The UN has already released $5 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, with an additional $1.5 million channeled to local NGOs from the Asia Pacific Humanitarian Fund.
OCHA notes that Pakistan ranks among the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, with scorching heatwaves.
Posted on 18 September 2025
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