Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Afghanistan,

Occupied Palestinian Territory

The Interagency Standing Committee, which includes the heads of the UN humanitarian system, issued a statement today saying that the humanitarian agencies will not participate in the establishment of any ”safe zone” in Gaza that is set up without the agreement of all the parties, and unless fundamental conditions are in place to ensure safety and other essential needs are met and a mechanism is in place to supervise its implementation. They added that, under the prevalent conditions, proposals to unilaterally create “safe zones” in Gaza risk creating harm for civilians, including large-scale loss of life, and must be rejected.

Yesterday, some 23,000 litres of fuel entered Gaza from Egypt, the first such delivery since 7 October. The Israeli authorities have restricted the use of this fuel only to use for UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) trucks distributing aid. The entry of fuel for all other purposes remains banned, including for hospital generators and water and sanitation facilities.

Meanwhile, OCHA reports that the As Salam Mill in Deir Al Balah was reportedly hit and destroyed yesterday. This was the last functioning mill in Gaza, and its destruction means that locally produced flour will not be available in Gaza in the foreseeable future.

Also yesterday, Gaza’s telecom companies announced the gradual cessation of all communication and internet services in the Strip, following the exhaustion of fuel reserves to operate generators. Humanitarian agencies and first responders have warned that blackouts jeopardize the provision of life-saving assistance.

Afghanistan

Recent assessments show that the impact of the three earthquakes, which struck Herat Province, in the west of the country, between 7 and 15 October, caused greater damage than initially estimated.

In total, 275,000 people are now understood to have been directly affected by the earthquakes across nine districts. This is up from an initial estimate of 114,000 people.  

The initial US$93 million Herat earthquake response plan, launched on 17 October, has been revised. We now seek $173 million to support communities through March of next year.

To date, we have received just $35.3 million – which is 20 per cent of the resources we need. Additional funding is urgently required to protect families living in the open or in makeshift shelters before winter sets in.