Today's top news: Libya, Mali

Two men in blue IOM vests unload a package labelled USAID from a truck.

The International Organization for Migration and other humanitarian partners continue to provide aid to communities affected by the devastating floods. IOM

Libya

OCHA and our partners remain on the ground providing critical humanitarian assistance, more than two weeks after Storm Daniel unleashed devastating floods in the north-east of the country.

This week, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya, Georgette Gagnon, visited Derna for the second time since the floods. Ms. Gagnon met displaced families and reviewed access to essential health services.

In affected areas, UN agencies and partners have provided medical supplies, food items, safe drinking water, and other critical assistance – as well as supported the establishment of six field hospitals.

UN agencies have appealed for more than US$71 million to meet the needs of a quarter-million people impacted by the floods over the next three months.

Mali

OCHA is deeply concerned by escalating tensions and clashes in parts of northern and eastern Mali, including Timbuktu, Gao and Menaka.

Humanitarian agencies continue to provide assistance, reaching 1.2 million people across the country so far this year.

This is a fraction of the 9 million people who need humanitarian assistance across Mali.

To maintain operations and scale up the humanitarian response, aid agencies need safe and unimpeded access to affected communities.

They also urgently need additional resources to ensure critical enabling services are in place for humanitarian action, including logistics and mine action activities.

The $752 million Humanitarian Response Plan for Mali is only 22 per cent funded with critical sectors facing even bigger funding gaps (food security: 18 per cent funded; health: 17 per cent funded; water sanitation and hygiene: 14 per cent funded).