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Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, Central African Republic, Haiti, Ukraine

UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Occupied Palestinian Territory

Gaza health services under strain as hostilities cause more casualties

OCHA reports that over the weekend, Israeli military operations continued across the Gaza Strip - with intensified air strikes and shelling in Gaza city killing or injuring scores of people.

The Palestinian Civil Defense says that over the last 10 days, it carried out more than 50 rescue or recovery missions across the five governorates.

Health services are under major strain. Today, the Ministry of Health in Gaza called on people to donate blood amid severe shortages in hospitals.

OCHA reiterates that civilians and civilian infrastructure must always be protected and should never be a target. Civilian sites must also never be used to shield military operations.

In Gaza governorate, where famine was confirmed over a month ago, OCHA says that hostilities have disrupted nutrition services.  Partners working in nutrition report that almost half of the treatment centres there are reportedly closed. This hampers efforts to detect new cases and maintain treatment for hundreds of children.

On Friday, the Ministry of Health said that 162 people - including 32 children - have died from starvation and malnutrition since famine was confirmed in August.

Meanwhile, the growing number of people moving to the south of Gaza is putting mounting pressure on already strained services available in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah, where conditions are dire.

Partners report that people are squeezed in tents along the beach, crammed into school shelters, or sleeping in the open on the rubble of destroyed homes.

Although aid organizations are overstretched, they continue to serve those in need, as much as possible.

Today, seven out of 12 humanitarian missions coordinated with Israeli authorities were facilitated. While teams managed to collect health supplies from Kerem Shalom, two missions to retrieve food cargo were denied.

When humanitarians are allowed to work - and when aid and commercial goods are allowed to move unimpeded into and throughout Gaza - aid organizations can save lives. It is essential for all crossings to be open and accessible. Rapid, unimpeded, safe passage inside Gaza is also critical to put an end to the suffering of people in need.

Meanwhile, partners at four monitoring points report that desperate families are leaving Gaza city, with many moving towards Khan Younis and Deir al Balah in the south, where there is very little space to accommodate new arrivals and displacement sites are already extremely overcrowded. At the same time, many people remain in the north and need urgent humanitarian support.

UNICEF said yesterday that amid new displacement orders and repeated displacement in Gaza city, family separation is a growing risk. The agency called for the protection of children and families, whether they move or stay.

Sudan

Attacks in El Fasher kill and displace civilians

OCHA warns of a sharp decline in the humanitarian situation in El Fasher, the besieged capital of Sudan's North Darfur State, where deadly attacks and fresh displacement are compounding the suffering of civilians.

On Friday, a devastating attack on a mosque - reportedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces - killed over 70 people. In a statement, UNICEF said that initial reports indicate that at least 11 of the fatalities were children between the ages of six to 15, with many more children injured. Meanwhile, local sources say that another attack in El Fasher just a day later claimed three more lives.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that about 7,500 people fled Abu Shouk displacement camp and parts of El Fasher town between 17 and 19 September, amid heightened insecurity.

The violence continues to have a devastating impact on humanitarian response efforts. A local aid organization reported having been forced to suspend its operations in the El Fasher area last week due to the rapidly worsening security situation. It had been providing health, water and hygiene support for several thousand people, despite the tightening siege.

In a social media post over the weekend, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, warned that El Fasher is on the brink, with civilians besieged and living in famine conditions. He joined the UN Secretary-General's call to stop the fighting, stressing the need to protect civilians and allow aid in.

Across the Darfur region, cholera continues to spread. The outbreak in South Darfur State is expanding, with over 5,200 suspected cases and more than 250 deaths reported since May. Nyala North, Nyala South and Beleil are among the localities that have been hardest hit, with fatality rates highest among older people.

Yesterday, the UN and its partners launched a large-scale cholera vaccination campaign across Darfur, aiming to reach about 1.9 million people. The first phase is underway in three localities of South Darfur, with plans to expand to East and North Darfur states, including Tawila, which is hosting many of the people who have fled insecurity in El Fasher.

Throughout the country, seasonal flooding is increasing humanitarian needs. Yesterday in eastern Sudan, heavy rains struck a village in the locality of Al Fao, in Gedaref State, displacing about 250 people and destroying 50 houses. Most of the affected people are sheltering within the locality and require urgent assistance.

OCHA once again appeals for increased international support* to sustain and expand life-saving operations across Sudan.

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

Central African Republic

Hundreds seek safety amid deadly attacks in Vakaga prefecture

OCHA reports that armed clashes in the Central African Republic near the border with Sudan have caused civilian casualties and displacement.

According to local sources, civilians were killed and homes burned during attacks between 19 and 21 September in the villages of Bouba and Dangoré in Vakaga prefecture. As of today, several hundred people - mostly women, children and older people - have sought protection around a UN peacekeeping base in the village of Am-Dafok.

OCHA warns that the situation remains volatile, with people urgently needing shelter, protection, clean water and medical assistance.

Haiti

Thousands flee armed attacks

OCHA warns that violence by armed groups continues to fuel new displacement in Haiti.

IOM reports that armed attacks in the commune of Verrettes, in the Artibonite department, have forced more than 3,000 people to flee their homes since 15 September. Most of those displaced have sought shelter with host families.

The area had already experienced similar attacks and displacement two months ago.

Meanwhile, on 18 September, armed groups attacked the commune of Bassin Bleu in the North-West department, setting fire to the police station and the only hospital in the area. According to authorities, a teacher was also killed in the attack.

With no access to basic services and under direct threat, some 2,000 people fled their homes following the violence.

These latest incidents highlight the ongoing spread of violence across different parts of Haiti, severely impacting people's lives and property and further weakening access to essential services such as health and education.

OCHA - working closely with its humanitarian partners - continues to monitor the situation and coordinate the response to ensure that assistance reaches those most in need, despite extremely challenging conditions.

Ukraine

Strikes hit major cities and front-line communities

OCHA reports that hostilities over the weekend and early this morning killed and injured civilians across Ukraine.

According to authorities, more than a dozen civilians were killed and over 90 others injured, including health workers and emergency responders.

Strikes hit two major cities - Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia - as well as front-line communities and areas further from the front line, damaging homes, schools and other civilian facilities. In Dnipro, a large missile and drone attack on 20 September injured dozens of people and damaged apartment blocks and several educational institutions. In Zaporizhzhia, strikes early this morning hit residential neighbourhoods, causing multiple civilian casualties.

In the Chernihiv region, health workers were injured on 19 September while responding to attacks. The following day, rescue workers were also injured while responding to earlier strikes. Civilian casualties were also reported in Donetsk, Kherson and several other regions.

Following these attacks, aid organizations mobilized to support first responders and municipal services. Emergency teams provided medical care, distributed hot meals and shelter materials, and offered psychosocial support to affected families.

The UN and its humanitarian partners also continue to deliver aid through convoys to front-line areas. On 19 September, an inter-agency convoy reached the Bilozerska community in the Donetsk region, one of the hardest-hit areas following the recent escalation in hostilities. The convoy delivered medical supplies, solar lamps and other essential items.

Posted on 22 September 2025