Today’s top news: Venezuela, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine

#Venezuela

UN Relief Chief appeals for additional US$296 million to support earthquake response

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, this morning briefed Member States from Caracas, calling for an additional US$296 million to provide life-saving support over the next six months to 1.3 million people affected by the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela two weeks ago.*

The addendum to the 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan, which already required $632 million, will help the UN and its partners support the Government-led response with food, shelter, health, and water, sanitation and hygiene assistance, among other critical interventions.

To date, around $300 million has been received for response efforts in Venezuela – with the addendum, the current funding gap now stands at some $600 million.

Fletcher thanked donors for the contributions made thus far and called on Member States and other donors to translate their solidarity into practical support and investments in essential services, as the response moves from search-and-rescue into the broader humanitarian and recovery phase.

The Under-Secretary-General arrived in Venezuela yesterday for a four-day visit to see first-hand the impact of the earthquakes and ongoing response efforts.

On his first day in the country, he witnessed the scale of the devastation in La Guaira, one of the areas hardest hit by the earthquakes. Fletcher spoke with families affected by the disaster and people still searching through the rubble alongside first responders, holding out hope of finding their loved ones alive.

The Under-Secretary-General also met with Acting President Delcy Rodríguez and other senior Government officials – together with the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator and the Head of OCHA Venezuela – to discuss the ongoing response efforts and how the UN can continue supporting affected communities as the relief efforts move into the next phase.

The UN and its humanitarian partners remain on the ground, working with national authorities to support survivors and address people’s most urgent needs.

*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Venezuela with urgent support.

#Occupied Palestinian Territory

UN Relief Chief discusses conditions in Gaza, West Bank with Palestinian Prime Minister

Under-Secretary-General Fletcher held a productive virtual meeting today with Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa of Palestine. They underscored the importance of close collaboration and accelerating efforts to improve living conditions in Gaza, particularly around safe water and waste management. Both agreed that the urgency of needs in Gaza is too great to wait for progress on broader political and security tracks.

The Prime Minister reaffirmed strong support for the UN’s role in delivering relief and advancing early recovery. Both welcomed the encouraging milestone of 41,000 students from Gaza sitting their high school exams this year. They also discussed the deteriorating situation in the West Bank, including increased settler violence and Palestinian displacement.

Today, Humanitarian Coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov, who is also the Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator, started a two-day visit to Gaza. In Gaza city, he visited the UN Mine Action Service, whose teams assess and mitigate the risks of explosive hazards.

Accompanied by the representative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Dr. Alakbarov visited the Firas market dumping site, also in Gaza city, to review solid waste management efforts.

Since 2023, Firas market had been used as an improvised dumping site after municipal crews lost access to Gaza’s two landfills near the Strip’s eastern land perimeter. The accumulation of solid waste in populated areas is one of the drivers of public health risks in Gaza, including those linked to pests and rodents.

Since April, thanks to a project supported by the Occupied Palestinian Territory Humanitarian Fund and implemented by UNDP, teams have transferred about 300,000 metric tons of solid waste from that improvised site to another location, farther away from where people are sheltering. But access to sanitary landfills, which are east of the so-called “Yellow Line,” remains banned.

The Humanitarian Coordinator also met with colleagues from UNICEF to discuss ongoing efforts to reduce infestations associated with rodents and parasites. With the World Health Organization (WHO), he discussed ongoing medical evacuation missions.

The medical referral route to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, remains closed, which undermines efforts to expand medical evacuations from Gaza. According to WHO, just over 2,100 patients have been evacuated since the declaration of a ceasefire in October 2025. However, thousands more need medical services that are not available locally.

In Al Shifa hospital, with the WHO representative, Dr. Alakbarov visited the new emergency department and the pediatric clinic and met patients and staff.

#Democratic Republic of the Congo

Targeting of Ebola responders undermines containment efforts

OCHA is deeply concerned by escalating violence against Ebola responders, which is undermining efforts to contain the outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

On 6 July, unidentified attackers raided an Ebola treatment centre in Butembo, North Kivu Province, setting fire to part of the facility, according to health authorities.

Since the outbreak was declared on 15 May, humanitarian partners have recorded at least 76 security incidents targeting Ebola response personnel and other aid workers across Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. At least 45 humanitarian and response workers have been injured.

As of 6 July, national health authorities reported 1,708 confirmed Ebola cases across Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. The outbreak has continued to expand geographically, with confirmed cases now reported in Boga Health Zone in Ituri Province.

The UN and its partners continue stepping up efforts to engage with community leaders, local authorities, civil society representatives and affected communities to address concerns, counter misinformation, and foster broader understanding of response efforts.

The UN reiterates its call for the protection of health workers, treatment facilities and response teams. Without a secure environment that enables humanitarians and health workers to carry out their life-saving work, efforts to detect cases, trace contacts and provide life-saving care will be severely compromised.

#Ukraine

Deadly missile, drone attacks cause widespread damage

OCHA reports that drone and missile attacks have continued across Ukraine, causing multiple civilian casualties and widespread damage to homes and other civilian infrastructure.

According to Ukrainian authorities, attacks across Ukraine over the past day caused 130 civilian casualties. At least eight civilians, including a child, were killed and 124 injured, among them 12 children and five health and energy workers. Hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure were damaged.

The Kharkiv and Kherson regions were among the hardest hit. In Kharkiv City and the region of Kharkiv – apart from high civilian casualties – attacks damaged a health facility, a school and residential buildings. Two health workers were injured. In the Kherson Region, six civilians were injured when a public bus came under attack in Kherson City. 

Across several other regions, there were reports of additional civilian casualties and damage to homes and civilian infrastructure.

Meanwhile, WHO reports that nearly 70 per cent of people in Ukraine have experienced worsening health since the full-scale invasion began. Common problems include sleep disorders, headaches, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress, while prolonged stress has contributed to rising rates of chronic diseases. WHO also warns that Ukraine’s health system faces growing workforce shortages due to displacement, burnout and insecurity.