Today's top news: Ukraine, Ethiopia

Ukraine

Two inter-agency convoys, facilitated by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, delivered aid to two towns in the southern Khersonska oblast.

The aid was from the International Organization for Migration, the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Refugees, UNICEF and the World Health Organization. It included medicine, emergency shelter kits, blankets, sleeping bags, hygiene kits and solar lamps.

The aid is intended for 5,000 residents of the towns of  Novoraisk and Mylove, which had been heavily affected by fighting. The Government of Ukraine regained control of these towns late last year.

As a reminder of the continued toll of the war, in the southern Kherson region, all members of one family — a father, a mother and a 12-year-old boy — were killed today when their home was hit by shelling in Beryslav town, according to the local authorities.

Several civilian casualties were also reported on both sides of the front line in the eastern Donetsk region, where shelling continues to damage homes and infrastructure.

Ethiopia

In the country’s north, aid continues to be sent into the Tigray region. Between mid-November of last year, following the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, and the end of December, more than 3,000 trucks carrying food, as well as health, shelter, water and other supplies, have been brought into the region through four road corridors. Some health and nutrition supplies have been sent by air.

Since mid-November, food has been distributed to more than 2.2 million people. However, some areas remain challenging to reach, including some border areas in the north and some areas off of the main roads.

Malnutrition rates remain alarming. One third of children screened in late December were acutely malnourished – 4 per cent of them severely malnourished.

There continue to be gradual improvements in the resumption of services in Tigray. Ethiopian Airlines has resumed passenger flights to Mekelle and Shire. The first bank resumed some operations in Mekelle on 2 January, with some having re-opened in other parts of Tigray in December.

The telecommunications and electricity supply have also been restored. However, full banking services, public transportation and the delivery of commercial supplies have not yet resumed.

Humanitarian needs also remain extremely high in parts of Afar and Amhara impacted by the conflict. The distribution of food and other assistance continues, although gaps remain including in areas where people are returning to their homes.

Meanwhile, in eastern and southern Ethiopia, communities continue to suffer from the devastating drought affecting the Horn of Africa. Nearly 12 million people are estimated to be food insecure and more than 8 million people need of water sanitation and hygiene assistance. An active cholera outbreak also continues in parts of the Oromia and Somali regions.

The humanitarian response is being scaled up in drought-affected areas, but we need more resources.