Today’s top news: Asia floods, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lebanon, Syria, Djibouti

#Asia floods

UN relief chief fast-tracks funding for floods response

In the wake of the devastating floods in Asia, Tom Fletcher, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, remains in close contact with United Nations teams in the region and the Nepalese and Chinese authorities.

Today, he spoke with the Foreign Minister of Nepal, Shisir Khanal, offering support and expressing condolences. He also spoke with the Resident Coordinator Lila Pieters Yahia and took part in a meeting of the Humanitarian Country Team.

Fletcher has also been in touch with the Government of China, expressing condolences and offering support.

In Nepal, Fletcher said that emergency teams are mobilized and more are on standby as humanitarians carry out assessments and remain in close contact with the authorities and regional partners.

The Emergency Relief Coordinator has allocated an initial US$2 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to save lives with emergency medical care, shelter and water.

The Nepal Police say at least 359 people have been killed and hundreds remain missing. Hundreds of people are also missing in China, where at least three people have been confirmed dead so far. However, with search and rescue operations underway, these figures are changing quickly.

Families in flooded areas have lost their homes, water supply, and access to healthcare. UNICEF reports that at least 17,000 children in Nepal have been impacted.

Access, communications disruptions and logistics remain the main operational constraints. With bridges and roads destroyed, much of the response is being run by air.

Led by the Resident Coordinator in Nepal, the country team there is supporting the Government-led response and working on a comprehensive plan for the response going forward. UN agencies are moving food, medical supplies, shelter materials and relief items into the affected districts and scaling up the response. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is ensuring coordination of the response between the national authorities, UN agencies and NGO partners.*

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

#Democratic Republic of the Congo

As Ebola spreads, partners expand capacity for safe, dignified burials

OCHA reports that efforts are underway to scale up safe and dignified burials as the Ebola outbreak spreads in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, since the virus remains highly contagious after death.

The World Health Organization warns that 60 per cent of deaths are occurring in communities, underscoring the critical need for strict burial protocols and sufficient capacity for safe and dignified burials.

Partners – the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the DRC Red Cross and FHI 360 – are expanding safe and dignified burial teams in affected provinces to prevent further transmission and protect communities.

Together, partners will expand the response with 35 additional mobile safe and dignified burial teams and 286 community-based teams across the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and Tshopo, while extending coverage to Haut-Uélé and Bas-Uélé.

The scale-up is starting now and will continue over the coming months, involving more than 2,500 volunteers and civil protection personnel, as additional capacity is deployed where needed.

The mobile safe and dignified burial teams are able to respond rapidly to alerts and conduct burials – with community-based teams providing support on disease surveillance, community engagement and psychosocial assistance, while conducting safe and dignified burials when needed.

As of Tuesday, national authorities had reported 5,713 confirmed cases and 2,744 deaths, with nearly one in two people who contract the virus dying from the disease.

#Occupied Palestinian Territory

UN, partners bring vital aid into Gaza

OCHA reports that humanitarians continue to provide life-saving assistance to people in Gaza, despite ongoing insecurity and restrictions.

Yesterday, the UN and its partners collected hundreds of pallets of supplies from the Kerem Shalom crossing, including fruits, vegetables and other food, as well as adult diapers, school supplies and fuel.

The World Food Programme (WFP) reported yesterday that so far this month in Gaza, three-quarters of households faced difficulties in accessing markets, mainly because of cash shortages or because basic food items are expensive. Most food items cost significantly more than they did prior to the escalation of hostilities in October 2023.

About one in five families reported that they were eating one meal a day. Families are living hand to mouth, with 50 per cent having reported that they completely ran out of food at least once during the past month. Partners have provided food parcels and wheat flour to more than 600,000 people as part of the August cycle.

#Lebanon

Hostilities imperil civilians, disrupt daily life in southern governorates

OCHA reports that renewed hostilities continue to affect civilians and disrupt daily life in southern Lebanon.

Several air strikes were reported by local authorities across Nabatieh Governorate today, while daily strikes and demolition operations continue to damage homes and infrastructure.

The insecurity also poses risks to those responding to people’s needs. Yesterday, in the Deir Mimas municipality in Nabatieh Governorate, Lebanese Civil Defence personnel were reportedly forced to withdraw while responding to a fire after coming under fire.

Despite the challenges, humanitarian partners continue to provide critical support to communities in need. Since 2 March, more than 900,000 people have received at least one round of emergency cash assistance.

While humanitarian needs remain immense, available funding remains insufficient to meet them. The six-month Flash Appeal – which requires nearly $640 million to support people affected by the escalation – is due to end in just four days and is just over half funded.

OCHA calls for full respect for international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, while stressing that sustained humanitarian support is essential to meet the needs of communities affected by the ongoing hostilities.

#Syria 

Now is the time to invest in Syria’s stability and progress, acting deputy UN relief chief tells Security Council

Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Indrika Ratwatte told the Security Council today that the message he heard across Syria during his visit to the country last week was that people want the opportunity to rebuild their lives, and they would like to see the international community’s support.

“This is not the moment to step back,” he said. “It is the moment to invest in stability and progress.”

Speaking on behalf of Under-Secretary-General Fletcher, Ratwatte noted that amid encouraging signs of revival – after years of conflict, displacement and economic decline – humanitarian needs still remain immense.

“Millions of people still struggle to access healthcare, food, clean water, education and livelihoods,” he said. “And the gap between needs and available resources is growing.”

The Acting Assistant Secretary-General stressed that the humanitarian community continues to deliver across Syria despite funding shortfalls, reaching an average of 2.4 million people every month during the first six months of 2026 with food, clean water, life-saving medical procedures and protection services.

He called for sustained, flexible funding for humanitarian and development action, investment in durable solutions for displaced people and returnees, and action to prevent Syria from being drawn into regional conflict.

#Djibouti

UN relief chief allocates $2 million for early action to address effects of El Niño

Emergency Relief Coordinator Fletcher has allocated $2 million from CERF to support early action and the response to drier-than-normal conditions driven by El Niño, which is worsening the food insecurity situation in Djibouti.

Over 256,000 people in Djibouti – a quarter of the population – face high levels of acute food insecurity through December, according to the latest analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), marking a significant increase compared to previous months.

The funds from CERF will help humanitarians take action before the effects of drier conditions peak to protect the lives and livelihoods of more than 53,000 of the most vulnerable people, including refugee communities.

WFP will provide food assistance and supplementary feeding, while UNICEF will deliver nutrition, child protection, and water, sanitation and hygiene support. The Food and Agriculture Organization will provide feed and veterinary support for livestock.