Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, Ukraine
UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Occupied Palestinian Territory
More people killed and displaced in Gaza as Israeli military operations intensify
OCHA says that Israeli forces have stepped up their operations in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, with devastating consequences for civilians. On average, this meant an air strike every eight or nine minutes. Teams on the ground also report shelling, helicopter and quadcopter fire, as well as gunfire towards people waiting for aid. Dozens of people have reportedly been killed and over 200 others injured, according to the Ministry of Health.
People continue to flee, mainly from Gaza city to southern Gaza, where conditions are dire. Yesterday, teams monitoring the movement of people inside the Strip counted about 16,500 displacements from northern Gaza southwards. Aid workers remain stationed along displacement routes, offering psychosocial first aid, referring people to specialized services when needed, and educating new arrivals on the dangers of explosive ordnance.
Still, hundreds of thousands of people remain in Gaza city amid extreme insecurity. They are heavily reliant on humanitarian assistance as more critical services there have been forced to close or move.
Meanwhile, humanitarian teams across the Gaza Strip continue to face access denials and heavy impediments - preventing them from providing support at the scale needed.
Yesterday, out of 15 movements that the UN tried to coordinate with Israeli authorities to support people in different parts of Gaza, only seven were fully facilitated. Five attempts were denied; another one was approved but impeded on the ground; and two others had to be cancelled by the organizers.
Teams were able to collect fuel, medical items and other supplies from Kerem Shalom crossing, among other missions, but were prevented from trucking water in the north and were not allowed to access other crossings, including to collect food.
OCHA stresses the need for Israeli authorities to fully facilitate humanitarian operations, including unimpeded movement into and across the Gaza Strip. It also reminds Israel, Hamas and any armed group that aid workers and their vehicles must not be attacked or denied critical access on the ground.
In the West Bank, Allenby bridge reopened today for passengers, but not for cargo. This is the only direct crossing between Jordan and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The reopening is a positive development for Palestinians who depend on that single crossing to go abroad. It is also good news for patients in Gaza set to be medically evacuated and for international aid workers on rotation, as both groups largely depend on that route.
At the same time, the continued closure of Allenby for imports and exports, including humanitarian cargo, is a significant concern. About 35 per cent of the supplies monitored by the UN 2720 mechanism that have been cleared and are ready to ship to Gaza - are in Jordan. They include food, tents and other commodities essential for people's survival.
The UN is engaging with relevant stakeholders to urgently address these concerns, warning that the continued closure of this border crossing without viable alternatives would further undermine the humanitarian response in Gaza.
Meanwhile, OCHA reports that the number of Palestinians in the West Bank who have been displaced since 7 October 2023 due to attacks by Israeli settlers and access restrictions has now surpassed 3,000. Half of them are children, mostly from Bedouin and herding communities. This is according to an OCHA report issued yesterday. During this same period, OCHA has documented over 3,000 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians that led to casualties or property damage. These are the highest figures ever recorded by OCHA, whose records on this matter go back to 2006.
OCHA says that while humanitarian partners are providing a range of services to displaced people and those otherwise affected by violence across the West Bank, it is essential to see an end to the violence that generates those humanitarian needs to begin with - and for that, what is needed is protection, accountability, and respect for international humanitarian law.
Sudan
UN Relief Chief voices concern over worsening humanitarian crisis in El Fasher
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, met Sudan's Transitional Prime Minister Dr. Kamil Idris on Wednesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. They discussed more visibility for Sudan and the worsening situation in El Fasher, the besieged state capital of North Darfur, with Mr. Fletcher also noting the UN's ongoing efforts to move pre-positioned aid supplies into the area. The meeting also focused on expanding humanitarian access and UN presence, as well as ensuring that more life-saving aid gets everywhere it is needed.
Yesterday, Fletcher spoke with General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo of the Rapid Support Forces to discuss grave concerns over the humanitarian crisis in El Fasher. He stressed the urgent need to protect civilians, halt the fighting and ensure safe humanitarian access. In a social media post, Fletcher underscored that millions of people are depending on action - and highlighted the need to scale up across Sudan, including in the Darfur and Kordofan regions.
OCHA reports that civilians in El Fasher continue to endure relentless attacks, acute hunger and cholera. They face daily threats from shelling, air strikes and drone attacks, with fierce clashes reported in north-eastern districts of the state capital in recent weeks.
UNICEF said that on Wednesday, the main building within the agency's office compound in El Fasher came under repeated attack, with shelling killing at least seven people who had been sheltering in the compound and injuring others. While UNICEF has not been able to occupy the compound since March 2024, it remains protected under UN privileges and immunities. Just days earlier, armed individuals entered the compound and took control of communications equipment and several UNICEF vehicles.
People continue to flee the heightened insecurity in El Fasher. On Tuesday and Wednesday alone, more than 1,600 people were displaced from the city, according to the International Organization for Migration.
OCHA says that hundreds of thousands of people who fled El Fasher are now living in dire conditions in Tawila, also in North Darfur. The UN and its partners are on the ground providing support*, but US$120 million is urgently required to meet people's immediate needs in that area. The World Food Programme has been scaling up assistance in Tawila, reaching some 450,000 people there last month with life-saving food and nutrition aid.
Elsewhere in Sudan, aid organizations are doing everything possible to support people in need. This week, the Humanitarian Coordinator, Denise Brown, concluded a two-day visit to the capital Khartoum alongside UN agencies and partners. She met Government officials, communities and front-line workers to discuss urgent humanitarian priorities. OCHA says joint efforts are underway to assist people's recovery and help communities in Khartoum rebuild. UNICEF said yesterday that two generators are on their way to Khartoum to restore safe water in cholera hotspots.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Sudan with urgent support.
Ukraine
UN and partners scale up assistance ahead of winter
OCHA says that the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to deliver aid across Ukraine.
In the first half of 2025, they provided at least one form of humanitarian assistance to 2.4 million people throughout the country. This represents about 40 per cent of the people whom aid organizations aimed to reach in the prioritized Humanitarian Response Plan.
While the UN is grateful for generous donor support, the sharp increase in attacks in recent months has triggered additional needs and new displacement, putting further pressure on an already stretched response - particularly ahead of winter.
Authorities and partners on the ground have reported multiple attacks impacting energy infrastructure in the regions of Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Sumy and Vinnytsa.
In Chernihiv, an attack last night left parts of the city and the surrounding areas without electricity, at a time when night-time temperatures are already dropping to about 5 degrees Celsius.
The UN and its partners continue to scale up assistance ahead of the winter under the 2025-2026 Winter Response Plan. Launched in July, this plan seeks $280 million and is currently 40 per cent funded.
Posted on 26 September 2025
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