Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Somalia, Zambia

A few hand scan be seen trying to grab a toilet roll from a hand poking out of a window.

Today, UNRWA teams continued to distribute humanitarian aid including essentials such as food, water, toilet paper and cooking utensils in Rafah, Gaza, where the number of people seeking refuge has almost quadrupled to more than a million. UNRWA

Occupied Palestinian Territory

Intense hostilities and fighting continue to take a heavy toll on civilians, resulting in deaths, injuries and displacement. Rocket fire from Gaza into Israel is also ongoing.

Yesterday, the Israeli military ordered the neighbourhoods of An Nassar, Ash Sheikh Radwan, Ash Shati Refugee camp, Rimal Ash Shamali and Al Janubi, Sabra, Ash Sheikh ‘Ajlin, and Tel Al Hawa in western Gaza city to evacuate towards the south. The new order covered an area of 12.43 square kilometres, which amounts to 3.4 per cent of the Gaza Strip. This area was home to almost 300,000 Palestinians before 7 October. Since then, nearly 60 shelters in that area have been hosting some 88,000 internally displaced people.

Since 1 December, when the Israeli military started ordering specific areas to evacuate, 158 square kilometres, which amount to 41 per cent of the Gaza Strip, have been put under such orders. This larger area was home to 1.38 million Palestinians before 7 October and, subsequently, it contained 161 shelters hosting more than 700,000 internally displaced people.

In the second half of January, our humanitarian partners continue to observe an increasing trend in denied and restricted access to the northern and central areas of Gaza. The reasons include excessive delays for humanitarian aid convoys before or at Israeli checkpoints and heightened hostilities in central Gaza.

Threats to the safety of humanitarian personnel and sites are also frequent, not only impeding the delivery of time-sensitive and life-saving aid but also posing serious risks to those involved in humanitarian efforts.

Meanwhile, yesterday, the transfer of humanitarian supplies into Gaza through Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel resumed after four days of disruption by Israeli protests.

Somalia

The UN and our partners, together with the Federal and State Governments, today released the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan which seeks US$1.6 billion to help 5.2 million people across the country.

Last year, Somalia was hit by multiple shocks, including devastating drought, unprecedented heavy rains and flooding, and new displacement. Millions of people also continue to suffer from hunger and malnutrition.

More than 4 million people – nearly one quarter of the population – remain acutely food insecure, while two in five children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition. Some 3.8 million people are internally displaced, and a cholera outbreak is spreading in several districts.

Zambia

The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, yesterday allocated $2.5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support the response to the cholera outbreak in Zambia.

As of 25 January, 14,116 cholera cases have been reported, and 534 people have died, with an alarming fatality rate 4 per cent, according to the World Health Organization. The transmission of cholera has been aggravated by challenges relating to the water supply, including flooding, shallow wells, difficulties in accessing clean water and sanitation facilities.

The outbreak continues to spread and shows no sign of abating. The CERF allocation will support the emergency response including in the areas of health, nutrition, protection, risk communication and community engagement, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene assistance.