Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, South Sudan, Somalia, Ukraine
Occupied Palestinian Territory
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, is in Paris today, where he attended the International Humanitarian Conference for the Civilian Population in Gaza.
He warned that the current conflict is a wildfire that could consume the region – with wide-ranging global impacts – unless brought under control.
Mr. Griffiths made three points on what needs to happen urgently: First, there must be complete respect – by all parties – for international humanitarian law and basic human dignity. This means that civilians must be protected and their essential needs met, wherever they are in Gaza. Mr. Griffiths noted, however, that the UN cannot be part of a unilateral proposal to push hundreds of thousands of desperate civilians in Gaza into so-called safe zones, and it has not been involved in any preparations for the arrival of displaced people in any prospective “safe zone” in Gaza.
Second, Mr. Griffiths said essential supplies and humanitarian relief – including fuel – must be allowed into Gaza safely, without impediment, reliably and at scale.
Third, the Under-Secretary-General called for a humanitarian ceasefire.
OCHA reports that amid intense hostilities, people in the north of Gaza continue to flee to the south, mostly on foot, facing thirst and exhaustion along the way.
Yesterday, about 50,000 more people evacuated the north of Gaza through a “corridor” opened by the Israeli military. Clashes and shelling on and around the road reportedly continued, endangering evacuees, with reports of corpses alongside the road.
Hundreds of thousands of people who remain in the north of Gaza are facing a dire humanitarian situation, struggling to secure minimum amounts of water and food to survive.
OCHA reports that yesterday, a total of 106 trucks – primarily carrying food, medicines, health supplies, bottled water and hygiene products – crossed from Egypt into Gaza, bringing the number of trucks that have entered Gaza since 21 October to 756. However, this represents only a fraction of the needs, and fuel remains banned.
Regarding the lack of fuel and its consequences, Al Quds hospital in Gaza City had to shut down key services yesterday. Al Awda hospital, the only provider of maternity services in northern Gaza, also warned of imminent closure.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported yesterday that the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East facilitated the delivery of much-needed medical supplies and medicine to Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City on 7 November.
This is only the second delivery of life-saving supplies to the hospital since the escalation of hostilities and the total siege of Gaza began. On 24 October, WHO delivered medical supplies to the hospital, amid high insecurity. WHO said that while the deliveries are a welcome development, the quantities provided are far from sufficient to respond to immense needs.
South Sudan
OCHA is sounding the alarm over the surge in returnees and refugees arriving in South Sudan after fleeing the conflict in neighbouring Sudan.
The number of people arriving in South Sudan increased in October by at least 50 per cent compared to September. As of yesterday, more than 366,000 people had been recorded crossing the border from Sudan since the conflict there began.
As that conflict edges further south, it could trigger more displacement, putting additional pressure on an already overstretched response.
The humanitarian community continues to provide life-saving assistance where resources allow. However, some partners expect to run out of funds before the end of the year, with the Emergency Response Plan for returnees and refugees in South Sudan reported at just 14 per cent funded.
It is critical that donors step up their support so that the UN and partners can provide food and nutrition assistance, adequate sanitation and hygiene facilities, as well as onward transportation services.
Somalia
The UN has released US$25 million to help Somalia cope with the effects of once-in-a-century flooding.
OCHA and partners estimate that some 1.6 million people could be affected by floods during the current deyr rainy season – made even more intense by a concurrence of El Niño conditions and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole phenomenon.
Several areas in the Middle Juba Region have received far more rain in just the past week than the entire seasonal average.
The newly released funds include $10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund and $15 million from the Somalia Humanitarian Fund. They will support efforts to save lives, stem disease outbreaks and address food insecurity.
Ukraine
The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, expressed outrage over an attack yesterday on a civilian vessel in the Black Sea Port of Pivdennyi in Odesa. One port worker was reportedly killed and crew members were injured.
Ms. Brown said the attack came just days after a series of attacks that killed and injured civilians, destroyed grain supplies and damaged a Fine Arts Museum in Odesa.
There have been more than 30 attacks on Ukrainian port facilities since the termination of the Black Sea Initiative in July, but Wednesday’s incident marked the first time that civilians were reportedly killed and injured on a civilian vessel.
Ms. Brown said the consequences of the ongoing Russian attacks on port facilities are devasting for Ukraine's economy and the hundreds of millions of people facing hunger worldwide.