Today's top news: Sudan, Occupied Palestinian Territory

A little boy stands on a plastic chair with his hands against a wall which is the backdrop of the chair

Five-year-old Mohammad plays by the Israeli Barrier in the West Bank. OCHA has recently documented 645 movement obstacles inside the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with impact on people's access to livelihoods and services. OCHA/Tanya Habjouqa

Sudan

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths warned in a statement today that war and hunger could consume Sudan if those fighting do not put the people of Sudan above their pursuit of power and resources.

He stressed that the war has gone viral and is now spreading to Kordofan where food stocks have been fully depleted in some areas, and clashes and road blockages are preventing aid workers from reaching the hungry.

Mr. Griffiths also expressed his concern for the safety of civilians in Al Jazira State, as the conflict moves closer to that area which is the breadbasket of Sudan.

The longer the fighting continues, the more devastating its impact is going to be, Mr. Griffiths said, while warning about the risk for the entire region to tip into a humanitarian catastrophe.

Meanwhile we continue with our efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to people in Darfur.

On Wednesday, UNICEF delivered 20 tons of assistance to Koulbous, in West Darfur. The cross-border shipment from Chad included 10 tons of water, sanitation and hygiene supplies to benefit 10,000 people for three months, as well as 10 tons of medical and nutrition items. This was the first time the UN has reached Koulbous since the conflict in Sudan broke out in mid-April.

An inter-agency mission including OCHA and several UN agencies reached Koulbous yesterday. The team met internally displaced people who had fled the state capital Geneina and other locations. Further cross-border missions to West Darfur are planned in the coming days.

A reminder that more than 1.5 million people in West Darfur are in need of humanitarian assistance – that’s according to this year’s revised Humanitarian Response Plan.

Occupied Palestinian Territory

OCHA warns that the humanitarian needs in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are deepening because of restrictions of movements of Palestinians inside the West Bank - this undermines their access to livelihoods and essential services such as health care and education.

We have identified 645 movement obstacles across the West Bank which represents an 8 per cent rise from the last survey in 2020.

All of the mapped obstacles are inside the Occupied Palestinian Territory rather than on the Green Line.

Under international law, the Israeli authorities have the obligation to facilitate the free movement of Palestinians within the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and only certain security-related exceptions are recognized.