Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Ukraine

Occupied Palestinian Territory

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, said today in a social media post that the aid delivered to Gaza so far is barely making a dent. He said more is needed now, including fuel, and stressed that assistance must be able to reach civilians in need wherever they are.

Speaking on behalf of Mr. Griffiths to the UN Security Council earlier, Lynn Hastings, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, welcomed the release of two hostages on Saturday and another two yesterday. However, she said the more than 200 hostages still being held must be released without condition, or any further delay.

Ms. Hastings said the scale of destruction in Gaza calls into question the ability of people to return to their neighbourhoods. Meanwhile, she added, Gaza remains under a full electricity blackout. 

Hospitals are on the brink of collapse due to shortages of electricity, medicine, equipment and specialized personnel – as well as due to damage and destruction.

This past weekend, Ms. Hastings said, 34 trucks entered Gaza with life-saving supplies, and another 20 trucks crossed Rafah into Gaza yesterday.  

Syria

We are alarmed by the devastating impact that escalating hostilities are having on children in the north-west of the country. 

Today, two toddlers were killed and three other children injured after airstrikes struck a displacement camp in Jisr Al-Shugur in Idleb. Yesterday, shelling in Tawama in western Aleppo damaged three schools.

And on Sunday, six children – all under the age of 10 – were killed in artillery shelling on the Qarqour community. The incident also damaged a primary health center in the town of Ariha that serves 4,500 people each month. 

Since 5 October, at least 64 people have been killed by shelling and airstrikes – more than one-third of them children. Three aid workers have also lost their lives, and more than 320 people have been injured.

More than two dozen health facilities have been impacted by shelling and airstrikes, causing disruption to health services.

The UN and our partners are providing food, tents, hygiene kits, protection services and other assistance to those who have fled – with more than 120,000 people newly displaced. 

Since 5 October, more than 100 trucks have brought UN aid into north-west Syria from Türkiye – and the UN has completed nearly a dozen cross-border missions.

Ukraine

So far this year, we and our partners have provided vital aid to 9 million people.

The response has included health services and medicine for more than 7 million people, while some 4.4 million people have been able to access clean water and sanitation services.

Food and livelihood support has been provided to 4 million people, mainly in Ukraine’s front-line regions.

Emergency repair materials and critical household items have been delivered to nearly 2 million people who either had their homes damaged or had to flee areas where the war made life extremely difficult.

Some 3.5 million people have received multi-purpose cash assistance, and over 1.7 million have been supported with protection services, including counselling. Education services have reached 1.7 million people.

The UN and its partners are now focusing on supporting the most vulnerable people of Ukraine during the winter period.