Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ukraine, South Sudan, Madagascar
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Gaza
OCHA reports that after the successful completion of the polio vaccination campaign in central Gaza, a new phase is now underway in the south, where teams aim to reach 340,000 children in four days.
UNICEF says about 161,000 children were reached yesterday on the first day of the campaign in southern Gaza.
Since 1 September, the World Health Organization says some 355,000 children have been vaccinated against polio in central and southern Gaza.
OCHA says more than 500 vaccination teams are now deployed in southern Gaza, including more than 380 mobile teams.
During the first phase of the campaign in central Gaza, more than 187,000 children under the age of 10 were vaccinated against polio. Vaccines were provided at more than 140 fixed sites, including hospitals and primary healthcare centres, as well as displacement sites, key transit routes and public spaces, such as temporary learning sites and food and water distribution points. Mobile teams also moved tent to tent and carried out special missions to access families who would have been unable to immunize their children due to insecurity.
To ensure that no child goes without a vaccine, four large health facilities in central Gaza will continue to offer vaccines for a few more days. The third and last phase of the vaccination campaign is set to take place in northern Gaza between 9 and 11 September, targeting some 150,000 children.
Meanwhile, humanitarian partners say the medical evacuation of critically ill and injured patients outside the Strip remains generally suspended since the closure of the Rafah crossing four months ago. An estimated 12,000 patients are waiting to leave Gaza to receive urgently needed medical care.
OCHA warns that limited access to clean water and sanitation facilities – coupled with the lack of affordable hygiene items – is heightening the health crisis in Gaza. In July, the price of soap had reportedly increased by nearly 1,200 per cent across the Strip since July of last year, with the price of shampoo almost 500 per cent higher.
Humanitarian partners have been working to ensure that hundreds of thousands of hygiene kits can reach people in need, but those efforts continue to be hampered by active conflict, access restrictions, the lack of public order and safety, and evacuation orders issued by Israeli authorities.
West Bank
OCHA reports that last night Israeli forces withdrew from Jenin and Tulkarm and their refugee camps in the West Bank, following a large-scale operation that began on 28 August. This marks the longest operation in the West Bank since the second intifada in 2002.
The death toll from this operation has risen to 36, including eight children and two elderly men, according to OCHA. This past week was the deadliest for Palestinians in the West Bank since November of last year.
Significant damage to civilian infrastructure, residential and livelihood shelters has also been reported, deepening people’s humanitarian needs. According to initial information from humanitarian partners, more than 1,000 families in Jenin have been displaced and are currently sheltering in various locations across the governorate. They need water, food, baby formula, medicine, and other essential services and supplies.
The use of lethal, war-like tactics by Israeli forces across the northern West Bank raise serious concerns over the excessive use of force. Israeli forces must adhere to international law enforcement standards, where lethal force and firearms should only be used as a last resort and only against imminent threats of death or serious injury.
OCHA has mobilized humanitarian organizations from the UN and beyond, in coordination with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. In the coming days, they are set to visit Jenin to assess the damage and humanitarian needs. OCHA reiterates the need for rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access.
Ukraine
OCHA says that hostilities and attacks continue to impact civilians and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine.
The east and centre of the country have been particularly affected. Local authorities report that attacks today in Pavlohrad in the Dnipro Region and yesterday in Kostiantynivka in Donetsk resulted in more than 60 civilian casualties, including several children who were injured. Homes and infrastructure were also affected, including two hospitals in Kherson.
Aid organizations are mobilized and providing aid, including psychological support and emergency construction material.
OCHA reports that wildfires in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions have burned more than 5,000 hectares of forest, destroying homes and livelihoods. Some 800 people fled the area. Aid groups have provided food, hygiene items and cash assistance, among other support.
CERF allocation: South Sudan and Madagascar
The Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator, Joyce Msuya, has allocated US$10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support the response to the massive floods in South Sudan affecting more than 700,000 people.
Since May, floods have damaged homes, crops and critical infrastructure. Education and health services have also been disrupted.
Humanitarian partners report rising malaria cases, respiratory tract infections, acute watery diarrhea and snakebites since the onset of the rainy season.
The new funds will support life-saving assistance in the 5 most affected counties: Aweil East, Luakpiny/Nasir, Rubkona, Mayendit and Fangak. These counties are already home to 900,000 people in need of emergency aid and this figure will likely increase with the floods.
The UN and partners have stepped up their response and focusing on health, food, water, hygiene and sanitation and shelter. They are also addressing the need for water pumps, community dyke construction materials.
The flooding compounds the already difficult humanitarian situation in South Sudan, which is experiencing severe food insecurity, continued conflict, disease outbreaks and the repercussions of the crisis in neighboring Sudan.
In June, the UN and the Government launched a flood preparedness and response plan seeking $264 million to support 2.4 million people. That plan has yet to receive any funding.
Msuya has also allocated $1 million from CERF to mitigate the worst impacts of a locust infestation in Madagascar.
In May, an assessment led by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) found that the locust situation in Madagascar was at the last stage before a wide-spread invasion, which usually coincides with the start of the rainy season around October.
Between 2013 and 2016, the country had already faced a widespread locust infestation which impacted agricultural production, with some 80 tons of vegetation eaten on average per day per locust swarm.
More than 1.2 million people are already facing high food insecurity in Madagascar (IPC3+). Even without the locust infection, hunger is expected to increase as the lean-season starts in October.
FAO is working with the Malagasy Ministry of Agriculture to respond to the infestation and has mobilized helicopters to address the infestations, with 1,500 hectares of land being treated so far. The new CERF allocation will allow for an additional 80,000 hectares of land to be treated, benefitting some 300,000 people.