Today's top news: Ukraine, Syria, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, Haiti
Ukraine
Yesterday, civilians were killed and injured while receiving humanitarian aid in yet another attack on the front-line town of Orikhiv in the Zaporizhzhia region, in the south-east of the country.
As confirmed by our colleagues from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, four civilians were killed in the attack. Efforts continue to verify reports of further civilian casualties.
The attack destroyed a drinking water distribution point installed and maintained by a partner of the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, which is administered by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine Denise Brown strongly condemned the attack, reminding that civilians, civilian infrastructure and humanitarian assets must be protected under International Humanitarian Law.
Residents in Orikhiv have been living under constant shelling for months. Families have been forced to take cover in basements, emerging only briefly to receive essential humanitarian assistance.
Meanwhile, humanitarians continue to deliver vital aid to those who need it most, including in front-line communities.
On Friday, an inter-agency convoy brought medicines, shelter materials and hygiene kits to Lyman town in the Donetska oblast in the east of the country, which has been exposed to continuous shelling. It was the 23rd inter-agency convoy to date this year to reach the Donetsk region, where humanitarian needs remain high due to the ongoing hostilities.
Syria
Today, 79 trucks moved through the Bab Al-Hawa crossing – they were carrying humanitarian supplies from the World Food Programme and the International Organization for Migration. Another 19 trucks loaded with aid went through the Bab Al-Salam crossing.
Since the earthquakes on 6 February, more than 3,700 trucks carrying aid from seven UN agencies have crossed into north-west Syria through the three available border crossings.
As of today, the UN has also completed more than 150 cross-border missions to the north-west, since the first inter-agency visit to Idleb on 14 February.
The Security Council authorization for cross-border operations under Resolution 2672 expires today.
The Secretary-General has called for a 12-month renewal of that authorization. The UN continues to advocate for expanding all avenues to deliver humanitarian assistance to millions of people in need in north-west Syria.
Occupied Palestinian Territory
The Humanitarian Coordinator Lynn Hastings visited the Jenin Refugee Camp on 8 July, joined by representatives of a number of Member States.
Our humanitarian partners have concluded an initial damage assessment following last week’s operation by Israeli forces, indicating that 460 housing units are damaged in and around the camp. Of these, 70 housing units were destroyed or otherwise rendered uninhabitable.
At least 40 families remain displaced.
The camp remains largely without running water, necessitating temporary solutions such as water trucking.
Humanitarian teams, including United Nations Relief and Works Agency, are also providing emergency assistance, medical supplies and mental health support.
Sudan
Today, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths is in Addis Ababa, where he was invited by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in Eastern Africa – or IGAD – to take part in its Quartet Heads of State and Government meeting on Sudan. They discussed how to address challenges in providing humanitarian aid to people in need, both inside Sudan and in neighbouring countries hosting those fleeing the fighting.
Mr. Griffiths stressed the need for expanded access and the lifting of bureaucratic impediments to allow more aid to reach people who need it.
The UN and our partners continue our efforts to reach Sudanese communities with life-saving assistance.
The World Health Organization says a chartered flight carrying 18 tons of medicines and medical supplies has arrived in Port Sudan. The shipment also includes trauma and emergency surgery supplies.
Haiti
The Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, Ulrika Richardson, has strongly condemned rising violence against medical staff and facilities in and around the capital Port-au-Prince and the rest of the country.
In yet another distressing example of these attacks, last week a group of armed men forced their way into a Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Tabarre, a commune in the capital, to violently remove a patient undergoing surgery for gunshot wounds.
The humanitarian community calls on all parties involved in attacks on health care to immediately cease all forms of violence against the population and humanitarian infrastructure, while also urging respect for the neutrality of healthcare facilities and their staff.
These professionals represent a vital component of ongoing efforts by both local and international organizations to ensure access to health care and other essential services for the Haitian population, particularly during the ongoing battle against a cholera epidemic.