Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine
UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Occupied Palestinian Territory
UN Relief Chief warns that as fighting continues in Gaza city, access to the north is difficult
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, said today that as fighting continues in Gaza city, getting aid to the north is difficult. He stressed the need for humanitarians to be able to work unimpeded, noting that many have been forced to suspend their work in the area.
Fletcher stressed that issuing displacement orders does not take away the parties to the conflict's obligations under international humanitarian law; many civilians remain in Gaza city and must be protected.
Meanwhile, OCHA says that people continue to be displaced from northern Gaza. In the span of just 10 hours yesterday, partners tracking population movements counted 6,700 people fleeing from the north to the south. Since mid-August, more than 417,000 such displacements have been recorded.
However, conditions in the south remain dire and unsafe. OCHA has received reports of intense strikes in recent days in parts of Deir al Balah, one of the places where people have been told to move. Tents, houses and even a crowded market have been hit, with the UN Human Rights Office reporting that many of those killed appear to be civilians.
Between Saturday and Tuesday, some 127,000 people arrived in nearly 360 displacement sites that partners have been able to monitor in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. Altogether, those sites are hosting more than half a million people.
Families in southern Gaza are squeezed into these and other overcrowded shelters or makeshift tents along the coast. Many others are sleeping out in the open, often amid rubble. New arrivals in the south face poor sanitation, no privacy or safety, and a high risk of children being separated from their families - all while being exposed to explosive ordnance.
Partners working on protection also warn of the financial burden of displacement, as families are selling their essential belongings to pay for transport. Those who cannot afford it are forced to walk, which is especially hard for families with mobility challenges.
To support people in the south, the UN and its partners have expanded services. For example, in Khan Younis, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has recently rehabilitated nine medical points, alongside the Japanese Health Centre and Hamad Health Centre - more than doubling the number of functioning health facilities there. Work also continues to rehabilitate shelters and other medical facilities.
The UN and its humanitarian partners continue to operate in the north, to the extent possible. Just today, humanitarians successfully transferred some fuel to that area to power critical facilities that people rely on for their survival.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Escalating violence imperils civilians in Ituri province
OCHA reports a continued uptick in violence in Ituri province, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
As of the end of August, local authorities estimate that the province hosts more than 1 million displaced people.
Since mid-September, attacks by local armed groups in Djugu territory have specifically targeted civilians, including people living in displacement sites.
Just this morning, local civil society groups reported that at least 10 displaced people living in the Rhoe displacement site in Djugu territory were killed by armed individuals while on their way to their fields.
On 27 and 28 September, armed groups attacked a displacement site and at least seven surrounding villages. These attacks resulted in four civilian deaths, multiple injuries, and the looting and burning of dozens of homes. More than 15,000 people were forced to flee to safer areas. Local sources report that these newly displaced people urgently need essential household items, shelter and food.
Humanitarian partners are working hard to reach civilians affected by the violence, but they face acute access constraints, including the presence of numerous armed groups and funding shortfalls*.
Despite these challenges, partners completed a round of cash transfers yesterday to nearly 6,000 vulnerable households, reaching more than 20,000 people. This marks the first cash-based food assistance for communities in the Mambasa territory of southern Ituri.
OCHA calls on all armed groups to fully respect international humanitarian law, including by ensuring the protection of civilians in all conflict-affected areas.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with urgent support.
Ukraine
Hostilities hit urban areas, damaging key infrastructure and disrupting electricity
OCHA says that over the past two days, continued attacks across Ukraine have struck large urban centres and damaged critical civilian infrastructure, disrupting the power supply as cold weather arrives.
According to Ukrainian authorities, between 30 September and 2 October, at least 90 civilian casualties were reported nationwide. In particular, Dnipro City - one of Ukraine's most populated cities - suffered a massive attack during the busy afternoon hours of 30 September, injuring more than 30 people, including a child, and damaging many homes.
Meanwhile, several parts of the country - particularly the regions of Chernihiv, Kyiv and Sumy in the north and north-east - experienced power outages, reportedly affecting nearly 300,000 people, as temperatures dropped. Furthermore, the Ministry of Energy reported a temporary disruption of its power supply, critical for maintaining the non-functional Chornobyl Nuclear Plant in the Kyiv Region.
In the Odesa region, the impact of continued attacks was aggravated by heavy rains on 30 September, which resulted in widespread flooding, killing 10 people - including a displaced family with a child - and causing widespread destruction, according to the authorities. Speaking on behalf of the Humanitarian Country Team, Matthias Schmale, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, expressed condolences to all those who lost loved ones due to the floods and appreciation to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society for mounting a swift humanitarian response, working with local authorities.
In the wake of the flooding and attacks, more than a dozen national and international NGOs - with the support of UN agencies - delivered emergency assistance to the affected people, including in the Odesa region. This included medical and psychological aid, emergency shelter materials and legal support.
OCHA stresses that with resumed attacks impacting Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure and worsening weather conditions, timely assistance is especially vital. The humanitarian community relies on sustained support from donors to continue assisting the most vulnerable people in Ukraine.
Posted on 2 October 2025
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