Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Ukraine
Occupied Palestinian Territory
OCHA says more than 200,000 people – or some nine per cent of Gaza’s population – have been displaced over last week in the wake of Israeli evacuation orders.
OCHA reports that tens of thousands of people continue to experience new waves of internal displacement across Gaza due to these evacuation orders and ongoing hostilities.
Humanitarian partners tracking population movements in Gaza estimate that new directives issued by Israeli authorities on Saturday and Sunday affected parts of Rafah, Khan Younis and Deir al Balah where a combined 56,000 people had been sheltering.
UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini says just 14 per cent of areas in Gaza are not under evacuation orders. He said these directives are creating havoc and panic, noting that people often have just a few hours to pack whatever they can and start all over again.
Once again, we underscore that all parties to the conflict must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, including by taking constant care to spare civilians and civilian objects. This includes allowing civilians to leave for safer areas and allowing their return as soon as circumstances allow. People must be able to receive humanitarian assistance, whether they move or stay.
OCHA says this latest round of displacement comes at a time when water, sanitation and hygiene conditions are being further eroded in Gaza – with infectious diseases on the rise.
As you are aware, the polio virus was detected in wastewater samples this month. Though no cases have been recorded, it is crucial that conditions on the ground in Gaza enable aid organizations to respond quickly and at scale, including by ensuring that children can receive vaccines.
The World Health Organization announced last week that it is sending 1 million polio vaccines to Gaza.
Sudan
Sudan's Humanitarian Coordinator, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, has strongly condemned indiscriminate attacks on Saturday in Al Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.
Local authorities reported that dozens of civilians were reportedly killed or injured when a hospital, a livestock market, and residential areas came under attack.
In a statement earlier today, Nkweta-Salami expressed her condolences to the families of those killed and stressed that civilian infrastructure should never be targeted.
She said many civilians were caught by surprise, as Al Fasher had seen a period of relative calm in the two weeks prior.
The Humanitarian Coordinator called on parties to stop the fighting and do everything possible to protect civilians, ensure they can move freely, and allow them to go about their daily lives.
More than 10 million people in Sudan have been displaced inside the country and across borders since fighting erupted in April of 2023.
Aid workers in Sudan are doing all they can to stave off a large-scale humanitarian catastrophe – with the country facing the worst levels of acute food insecurity in its history. More than 25 million are acutely hungry.
We need unimpeded access and scaled-up funding to reach all those who need our help. This year’s humanitarian appeal for Sudan is still less than a third funded, with US$859 million received of the $2.7 billion required.
South Sudan
OCHA warns that the conflict in neighboring Sudan and other challenges continue to drive humanitarian needs in South Sudan.
Since April of last year, when fighting broke out in Sudan, more than 770,000 returnees and refugees have fled across the border into South Sudan.
Meanwhile, the UN and partners are supporting the Government’s efforts to prepare for what is expected to be the worst flooding in 60 years. We aim to assist some 2.4 million of the 3.3 million people projected to be affected by the floods from September onward, providing health, and nutrition services, shelter, and food assistance to the displaced.
To do this and to meet the needs of new arrivals fleeing the conflict in Sudan, more funding for the humanitarian response in South Sudan is urgently needed. This year’s appeal is just over 30 per cent funded, with about US$542 million received of the nearly $1.8 billion required.
It is also crucial that aid workers have safe and unimpeded access to reach those in need in South Sudan.
According to OCHA’s latest figures, this year has seen an increase in security incidents affecting humanitarian access – up 10 per cent compared to the same period in 2023. Last month alone, there were nearly three dozen cases of violence against humanitarian personnel and supplies reported in South Sudan, mostly in the north of the country.
Ethiopia
Teams deployed by the UN and partners continue to support Ethiopia's Government response to the devastating landslides in the south. We also are providing lifesaving assistance.
OCHA is also helping to deploy two international environmental experts to support the response as well as evacuation efforts.
According to local authorities, 232 people have been confirmed dead, at least 14,000 people affected and more than 650 people displaced.
Verification and search-and-rescue work continues. Additional casualties are expected as people are still missing.
Meanwhile, coordinated efforts are underway to evacuate 6,600 people in high-risk areas.
The National Meteorological Agency warns that heavy rainfall will persist, putting other areas in the region at risk of landslides.
Ukraine
Attacks over the weekend on front-line and border areas in Ukraine have caused civilian casualties, including among children and damaged civilian infrastructure in different parts of the country.
Hlukhiv, a town in the Sumy Region, in the north-east of country, was particularly impacted by an attack on 27 July. Authorities reported that a 14-year-old child was killed and 13 more civilians, including 7 children, were injured. Multiple homes and an education facility were damaged. Some parts of the town were left without power and water supply, according to our partners on the ground. Aid workers delivered repair materials and provided psychological support.
Attacks in Dnipro, Donetsk and Kherson regions on 27 and 28 July also injured six children, according to authorities.
Over the recent months, the number of war-related casualties in Ukraine has increased. According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, June saw the highest number of child casualties in 2024, 65 children were killed or injured.