Today's top news: Hurricane Beryl, Haiti, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Hurricane Beryl

The UN is following reports from Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines after Hurricane Beryl battered the islands as the strongest hurricane in the history of the Atlantic in the month of June.

Initial reports indicate severe damage to homes, infrastructure and power and communications.

Under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Simon Springett, the UN is working with national authorities in support of relief efforts and planning.

Seven agencies based in Grenada and nine agencies in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will be augmented by additional UN emergency teams in the coming days.

Logistics are going to be a challenge, given the islands’ dispersal, damaged infrastructure and limited accessibility.

Hurricane Beryl, now a Category 5 storm, has set its sights on Jamaica and impact the Cayman Islands on Thursday. The scope of this storm is likely to impact most countries and Islands across the Caribbean Basin, where preventive measures are being taken.

Hurricane Beryl is only just the start of what’s been forecast to be extremely intense 2024 hurricane season, and one that OCHA will be watching closely over the next months, working closely with UN Resident Coordinators and emergency authorities.

With this additional threat and already six months into the year the US$674 million Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti is only 24 percent funded with $168 million received.

Haiti

Humanitarian agencies in Haiti are in close contact with Haitian authorities as the country could be hit by heavy rains, strong winds, landslides as Hurricane Beryl sweeps across the region.

The Sud, Sud-Est and Grand-Anse departments, all in the south of the country, could be the hardest hit in the next 24 hours.

National authorities in Haiti have amplified early warning messages to populations to mitigate the potential impact if the Hurricane make landfall in the country.

UN agencies stand ready to assist and have already taken anticipatory measures including food distributions.

The hurricane season which started on 1 June and will run until the end of November could aggravate the living condition of millions of Haitians who are already caught in a complex humanitarian crisis, marked by violence, displacement, food insecurity and poor access to basic social services.

Occupied Palestinian Territory

OCHA is deeply concerned over the impact of Israel’s latest evacuation order on tens of thousands of civilians, many whom have been repeatedly displaced over the last nine months.

Yesterday’s order for Palestinians to evacuate 117 square kilometres in Khan Younis and Rafah governorates applies to about a third of the Gaza Strip – making it the largest such order since October, when residents were ordered to evacuate northern Gaza.

OCHA underscores that an evacuation of such a massive scale will only heighten the suffering of civilians and drive humanitarian needs even higher. People are left with the impossible choice of having to relocate, some most likely for the second or third time, to areas that have barely any spaces or services, or staying in areas where they know heavy fighting will take place.

Initial estimates by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East indicate that nearly 250,000 people may have resided in the areas subject to evacuation at the time of the order.

The new evacuation order affects more than 90 schools, many of which host displaced people, as well as four medical points and the European Gaza Hospital area.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that yesterday, 70 patients had reportedly self-evacuated along with medical staff, with more patients having evacuated this morning. WHO's representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory – Rik Peeperkorn – said earlier today that only three patients remained at the European Gaza hospital and three in the International Committee of the Red Cross field hospital. He said WHO was supporting the transfer of valuable medical equipment and supplies out of the hospital, which was one of the few remaining key referral hospitals in the south of Gaza.

This morning, the Israeli authorities clarified that the order does not apply to patients or staff at the hospital.

A reminder that all parties must respect international humanitarian law, at all times. This means that civilians must be protected, and their essential needs – including food, shelter, water and health – must be met, wherever they are in Gaza. 

Andrea De Domenico, OCHA’s Head of office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory will hold a press briefing at 9am EST tomorrow. He will address the challenges in aid delivery – both into and across Gaza. De Domenico will also speak about the latest estimates on the scale of displacement and the number of people in Gaza.

Sudan

OCHA says it is alarmed at the spreading fighting in Sudan and its devastating impact on civilians. 

There have been reports of people being newly displaced in recent days following clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in Sinja Town, in Sennar State, in the southeast of the country.

The latest figures indicate that more than 60,000 people have already fled the fighting in Sinja, but also insecurity in the localities of Abu Hujar and Ad Dali nearby.

The vast majority of these people are moving east toward the neighbouring state of Gedaref. The fighting continues and people are on the move as we speak. The situation is very volatile and the numbers could increase in the coming days.

The UN and humanitarian partners are present in Gedaref and are preparing for the arrival of people that have been displaced by the clashes, with food and nutrition supplies. 

We call on the parties to de-escalate immediately, spare civilians and ensure safe passage for those fleeing the fighting in Sinja and all conflict-affected areas in Sudan.

With famine looming, we need unimpeded access so that those in need can receive the life-saving support they rely on -- and we need to be able to reach people in need wherever they are.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's Humanitarian Coordinator, Bruno Lemarquis, condemned Sunday’s deadly attack on humanitarian workers in North Kivu province, in the east of the country.

On 30 June, an armed attack on a humanitarian operation in Butembo killed two aid workers. At least five vehicles of a humanitarian partner were also set on fire.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 170 security incidents have directly targeted humanitarian workers, resulting in at least four deaths and 20 injuries.

Violence continues to displace people in North Kivu, creating significant additional humanitarian needs while the country’s US$2.6 billion Humanitarian Response Plan is only 26 per cent funded $669 million.

The North Kivu province is home to 2.8 million displaced people. Between 27 and 30 June—or in four days—more than 150,000 were displaced due to continued fighting in the town of Lubero, which was already hosting more than 500,000 displaced people who had arrived in March after fleeing violence in the Masisi and Rutshuru territories.

Lemarquis reiterated his call for immediate de-escalation of violence and political dialogue to find a sustainable solution to the conflict.