Today's top news: Sudan, Ukraine

Sudan

Last week a humanitarian convoy from Chad had arrived in West Darfur. The World Food Programme (WFP) says those supplies have been distributed to more than 15,000 people in remote villages in the state. 

Overall, in the Darfur region, WFP has reached nearly half a million people with emergency food assistance since May. 

That includes some 60,000 people in East Darfur in recent months. 

Our humanitarian colleagues stress that increased access to the Darfur region and all parts of Sudan is critical to expand the delivery of life-saving assistance to those in need. 

Meanwhile, the UN Refugee Agency is warning of worsening health conditions in refugee camps and other places where people forced to flee are arriving. 

Many families have been on the move for weeks – with very little food or medicine. 

As a result, we are seeing rising malnutrition rates, disease outbreaks and deaths. 

More cholera and malaria cases are expected in the coming months, due to flooding from heavy rains and poor sanitation facilities.

Humanitarian agencies have deployed additional staff and volunteers in the camps, border entry points and transit centres to support with malnutrition screening and other services. Teams are also providing medical kits, increasing measles vaccinations for children and rehabilitating existing facilities while setting up new ones. Additionally, we are doing all we can to quickly relocate new arrivals from border entry points and transit centres to avoid overcrowding and curb the spread of deadly diseases. However, we need more donor support to save lives.

Ukraine

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Denise Brown, said she is profoundly disturbed by the latest Russian strikes yesterday that hit residential buildings and other civilian places in Pokrovsk, in the Donetsk region, reportedly killing and injuring scores of civilians.

The same location was hit twice in the space of minutes, causing the death and injury of people who had quickly come to help the survivors – including rescue workers from the State of Emergency Service of Ukraine.

Ms. Brown said this horrifying attack violates any principle of humanity. She said this latest incident adds to the very long list of attacks in Ukraine, including many over the past few days, that must be investigated as they violate international humanitarian law.

Humanitarian organizations are already on the ground and are providing assistance.