Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, Ukraine
UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Heavy rains in Gaza put displaced communities at risk
OCHA is concerned by the impact of today's heavy rains on people across the Gaza Strip. Initial reports indicate that once again, tents and entire areas where displaced people are sheltering have been flooded.
OCHA notes that many families in Gaza are living in improvised or sub-standard shelters, or in low-lying areas that are poorly equipped and prone to flooding, leaving people highly vulnerable to inclement weather.
For weeks now, partners working to provide shelter support have been doing everything possible to lessen the impact of these seasonal rains on people across Gaza. Beyond the distribution of tents, tarps and blankets, the UN and its partners are repurposing empty sacks of flour and food to contain flooding in displacement sites.
However, OCHA stresses that much more is required, as the needs are immense and humanitarians working to further scale up the response still face impediments. These include the systematic denial of critical items, as well as bans on the operation of key aid groups, including NGOs. The UN and its partners continue working to see that these restrictions are lifted.
Today's rains come as partners continue to address the damage caused by the last round of heavy rains on 14 November. OCHA says that three child-friendly spaces in Khan Younis that had suspended operations due to damage from that storm have just resumed their activities, restoring children's access to essential protection and support services.
As the world marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, OCHA reports that humanitarian partners have recently established a new safe space for women and girls in Al Kateeba area of Gaza city. The site will provide psychosocial support and other relevant services to survivors and those at risk of gender-based violence in the area.
Also in Gaza city, a safe shelter for women in need of protection services - including survivors of gender-based violence - sustained significant damage on Saturday, following an air strike that hit a nearby apartment. The UN and its partners are working to rehabilitate the facility so that services there can continue.
UN Women notes that tens of thousands of women in Gaza are heading their households and struggling to rebuild amid impossible conditions.
The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) says that most women in Gaza have been displaced at least four times and live in overcrowded shelters lacking privacy or protection. The agency warns that girls in Gaza are at risk of early marriage, and that gender-based violence is on the rise, as are cases of suicide or attempted suicide among survivors.
UNFPA's teams are providing psychosocial care on the ground, reopening safe spaces for women and girls, and providing support to tens of thousands of people.
Sudan
UN Relief Chief warns needs outpace resources to support North Darfur displaced
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, said yesterday that partners are providing urgent services to people who escaped El Fasher, in Sudan's North Darfur State, but needs far exceed resources. In a social media post, he stressed the need for unhindered access to civilians wherever they are, recalling his recent visit to Tawila - where many of those displaced are arriving, facing acute malnutrition and life-threatening illness.
Humanitarian partners in Tawila report significant challenges to their operations - including funding shortfalls and insecurity along key access routes. Health facilities are overstretched, and mobile clinics are struggling to manage growing caseloads of injuries, acute malnutrition and respiratory infections. Partners warn that without urgent reinforcement of basic services and increased funding, the already dire conditions in Tawila could worsen even further.
Despite the challenges, aid organizations continue to deliver assistance. Last week, the Sudanese Red Crescent Society began cash distributions for 8,000 families in Dabba Naira camp in Tawila.
As of yesterday, more than 106,000 people have been displaced from El Fasher and surrounding villages since the city was taken over by the Rapid Support Forces nearly a month ago. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) notes that this figure reflects expanded data collection efforts.
OCHA also remains deeply concerned by ongoing violence in other parts of Darfur. In Central Darfur State, Médecins Sans Frontières said today that for the second time this year, the organization has been forced to reduce support to Zalingei Hospital to keep its teams safe. This comes after a Ministry of Health worker was fatally shot outside the facility a week ago, with four other people injured.
Hostilities also continue to imperil civilians in the Kordofan region and force families from their homes. IOM reports that more than 600 people were displaced from two villages in Abassiya locality, in South Kordofan State, on Saturday. In the same area, a local medical group reported today that over 150 men and boys were abducted for forced recruitment.
OCHA continues to call for the protection of civilians across Sudan - as well as safe and unimpeded access to deliver life-saving assistance. It also urges donors to scale up funding to meet the growing needs across Darfur, Kordofan, and other parts of the country.*
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Sudan with urgent support.
Ukraine
Large-scale attacks kill, injure dozens of civilians
OCHA reports that large-scale attacks continued in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and across multiple regions - killing and injuring dozens of civilians.
Between yesterday and this morning, another large-scale attack on Kyiv killed at least seven civilians and injured 20 others, including a child. Residential buildings, a preschool and a playground were also damaged. The attacks further disrupted electricity, heating and water supplies.
Strikes also affected the regions of Chernihiv, Dnipro, Donetsk, Kherson, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia.
Critical infrastructure sustained extensive damage. Authorities reported that parts of Kharkiv City were left without electricity and water. More than 50,000 people in the regions of Kyiv and Chernihiv faced emergency outages.
Nationwide, more than 100,000 consumers remain without electricity following the latest wave of strikes. Rolling outages continue, further complicating preparations for winter.
Humanitarian organizations provided emergency assistance in the city of Kyiv and surrounding areas - including hot meals, warm clothing, blankets and psychological support. They also registered people for cash assistance.
Meanwhile, humanitarian partners continue to scale up services to address gender-based violence nationwide. By the end of October, nearly 360,000 women and girls had received support from 100 organizations, with the highest numbers in the Kherson, Kharkiv and Dnipro regions. Nearly 160,000 women and girls took part in awareness-raising activities, 85,000 received psychological support, and some 80,000 were provided with dignity kits.
Posted on 25 November 2025
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