Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Haiti, South Sudan, Ukraine

Occupied Palestinian Territory

Ongoing Israeli bombardments and intense hostilities continue to cause civilian deaths, drive displacement, and compound the humanitarian crisis. We and our partners continue to do everything possible – wherever and whenever we can – to address surging needs, despite tremendous obstacles to our aid operations.

Over the weekend, the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners evacuated two six-year-old patients and their caregivers from Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. One of the children has leukemia, while the other, has cystic fibrosis – and both will now receive treatment abroad.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is again appealing for sustained and safe medical transfers in Gaza to ensure all children and sick patients in need of urgent care have a chance to survive.

To date, about 3,400 patients have been evacuated out of Gaza. That’s of some 9,200 people who urgently require medical evacuation.

Meanwhile, as hunger soars in Gaza, aid organizations continue to screen and treat children under the age of five for acute malnutrition. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is carrying out screenings at shelters in Deir al Balah and plans to expand into Al Mawasi and shelters in Khan Younis. Between mid-January and mid-March of this year, more than 28,000 children under the age of five had been screened for acute malnutrition. The nearly 2,000 children diagnosed are currently receiving the required treatment.

On Saturday, WHO delivered treatment kits for severe acute malnutrition – as well as therapeutic milk – to the stabilization centre at Kamal Adwan Hospital.  

Haiti

The World Food Programme says that yesterday, together with their local partners, they were able to deliver hot meals to 18,500 displaced people, making it their largest distribution in March. However, access to people in need remains sporadic. For example, between the 20 and 22 March, WFP and its partners reported that they were not able to reach some 18,000 people in need with food due to roadblocks and insecurity.

Since 29 February, UNICEF and its partners have distributed some 1.7 million liters of water for more than 15,000 people in Port-au-Prince.

On the health front, the monitoring of disease outbreaks continues in sites for displaced people across the capital. Distribution of medicine and medical supplies, including supplies to respond to cholera, remains a critical need, with insecurity hindering the replenishment of stocks.

Meanwhile, UNICEF’s Executive Director, Catherine Russell, warned today that violence and instability have consequences far beyond the risk of the violence itself, as the current context is creating a child health and nutrition crisis that could cost the lives of countless of children. She added that thousands of children are on the brink, while life-saving supplies are ready to be delivered if violence stops and roads and hospitals are opened.

South Sudan

OCHA is concerned about incidents that continue to impede the humanitarian response in the country.

In a new report, OCHA recorded more than 30 incidents curtailing humanitarian access in South Sudan last month. Nearly half of these incidents involved violence against humanitarian staff and assets.

This is causing delays in the movement of aid and personnel in South Sudan, and even the suspension of some programmes. This comes at a time when the country is grappling with an influx of returnees due to the conflict in Sudan. These new arrivals are stretching response capacities and putting additional pressure on host communities.

Meanwhile, funding constraints are compounding the challenges that humanitarian organizations are facing. This year’s Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for South Sudan has received just US$335 million – less than 20 per cent of the $1.8 billion required. This level of funding is significantly lower than at the same time last year.

Ukraine

Strikes continued in the south and east of the country yesterday and today, impacting civilians and critical infrastructure. Several people have been injured in the cities of Odesa and Kharkiv, according to local authorities.

Hundreds of thousands of people remain without power, mainly in Odesa and Kharkiv Regions. Authorities estimate that restoring the power to its full capacity will take months. Humanitarian organizations are on the ground, providing emergency aid to people affected.