Today’s top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Somalia, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Haiti

Occupied Palestinian Territory

The UN and humanitarian partners are providing nutrition support at nearly 300 sites, including more than 20 health facilities, nearly 240 formal and informal shelters, and more than three dozen sites in host communities.

UNICEF has expanded outpatient treatment for acutely malnourished children to 95 sites in Gaza – including 36 in the north and 46 in Rafah. These outpatient therapeutic programmes are being supported by more than a dozen humanitarian partners working on nutrition.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization reported yesterday that the agency and its partners managed to evacuate four patients and their caregivers from Kamal Adwan hospital, in northern Gaza, over the weekend – including a nine-year-old boy.

In a social media post, WHO’s Director-General Dr. Tedros said the team could only partially complete their mission to that facility and Al-Awda hospital due to ongoing hostilities, as well as severe delays at checkpoints. As a result, fuel and medical supplies were unable to reach Kamal Adwan, and partners could not assess needs at Al-Awda to support the restoration of services there.

Dr. Tedros stressed that humanitarian aid and missions in Gaza urgently need safe, sustained and smooth passage across the Gaza Strip to serve people in critical need of life-saving care.

We continue to contend with major obstacles that are limiting the scale of the humanitarian response in Gaza, including active hostilities, impassable roads, unexploded ordnance, fuel shortages, delays at checkpoints, and Israeli restrictions that prevent us from bringing in items essential for enabling aid deliveries.

Somalia

The seasonal rains – referred to as the “Gu” rains which come between April and June – are intensifying in Somalia.

There has been flash flooding in Somaliland, Hirshabelle and South West States, as well as the Banadir region, over the past five days, reportedly leading to four deaths.

We and our humanitarian partners have stepped up response efforts, including by issuing early warning messages, setting up nearly 20 flood task force teams across Somalia and identifying nearly 70 evacuation sites in flood-prone areas. More than 50 boats have been pre-positioned in 10 high-risk locations along the Shabelle and Juba Rivers.

Across Somalia, as many as 770,000 people could be affected by heavy rains and floods in 22 hotspot districts. The rains are expected to worsen the current outbreak of acute watery diarrhea and cholera. As of a week ago, at least 7,200 cases and 75 deaths had been reported this year, according to Somalia’s health authorities.

Although the Gu rains are expected to further drive up humanitarian needs, funding for the response remains a major challenge. 

This year’s appeal for $1.6 billion is only 10 per cent funded, with $164 million received so far.

Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, people are being newly forced from their homes in the Amhara Region, in the north of the country.

Since April 13th, armed clashes have now displaced more than 50,000 people in the North Wello and Wag Hamra Zones, according to local authorities. Most of the displaced people – the majority of whom are women and children – are seeking refuge within the host community. Others are sheltering in an open area in an industrial site near Kobo Town and are exposed to the elements amidst the spring rainy season.

The Government, along with the UN and humanitarian partners, have started providing food and health support. Host communities are also providing food and water.

The US$3.2 billion Humanitarian Response Plan for this year is just under 9 per cent funded at $287 million.

Ukraine

A number of civilians, including children, were injured last night and their homes were severely damaged in Ukraine’s Odesa region, according to aid workers. Several civilians were injured in a separate attack this afternoon in the Dnipro region, according to local authorities.

In Odesa, humanitarian organizations are providing families with emergency assistance – including hot meals, water, blankets, towels, hygiene kits, repair materials, and psychological and legal assistance.

The attack on Odesa follows strikes on civilian infrastructure in the Kharkiv Region just a day earlier, which authorities say killed and injured civilians. Homes, a school, agricultural facilities, and other civilian premises were also damaged. In Kharkiv – Ukraine’s second most populous city – the TV tower was destroyed, partially disrupting telecommunications.

As attacks across Ukraine continue, humanitarian workers are complementing authorities’ efforts to deliver emergency medical services and primary health care, including mental health assistance.

The World Health Organization has verified nearly 100 attacks on health care in Ukraine this year.

Haiti

The procurement of essential supplies, including food and medicines, is becoming increasingly challenging with the international airport closed, main ports barely functioning and roads leading out of Haiti’s capital blocked.

The availability of fuel has also become a pressing issue, with prices soaring on the black market and transportation costs on the rise.

Despite ongoing unrest and attacks by armed groups in Haiti, the World Food Programme (WFP) has been scaling up operations, assisting communities affected by the violence. Haiti is facing its highest levels of food insecurity on record, as increased violence takes hold.

Since the start of the current crisis in March, WFP has reached more than 590,000 people across the country, providing hot meals, school meals, and food and cash assistance.