Today’s top news: Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sahel, Mauritania, Haiti
#Lebanon
Hostilities drive mass displacement as shelters space runs out
OCHA is concerned by the impact of the hostilities, as people continue to be forced to flee in southern Lebanon.
According to local authorities, 30,000 families in South Governorate and 4,000 families in Nabatieh Governorate have escaped violence in recent days.
The latest wave of displacement is putting severe pressure on already overstretched systems.
As of today, nearly 135,000 people are registered in collective shelters, which are increasingly overcrowded, with thousands more staying on the streets and seaside, among other places.
In Beirut alone, an estimated 200,000 people were displaced from the southern suburbs following the displacement order issued by the Israeli Defense Forces on 1 June.
OCHA is also alarmed by the continued impact of hostilities on healthcare. According to the Ministry of Public Health, night strikes on 1 June killed five people and injured 48 others, including a doctor and five hospital workers at Tebnine Governmental Hospital in Nabatieh Governorate. This marks at least the fourth strike affecting Tebnine Governmental Hospital – the only operating trauma hospital in the area – since 2 March.
The UN and its partners continue delivering life-saving assistance. Since 2 March, some 180,000 people have received clean water, sanitation and hygiene support. More than 131,000 hygiene kits and nearly 69,000 menstrual hygiene kits have also been distributed.
OCHA continues to call for the protection of civilians, including health workers, and for sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access to meet rising needs across the country.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Lebanon with urgent support.
#Occupied Palestinian Territory
Nearly 100 patients evacuated from Gaza, but thousands still need care
OCHA says that convoys travelling to Kerem Shalom to collect humanitarian cargo through the newly established Israeli checkpoint in southern Gaza are still facing significant delays.
Yesterday, congestion at the new checkpoint prevented six fuel tankers from reaching Kerem Shalom, which significantly reduced the volume of fuel that could be collected from the crossing. A steady flow of fuel is critical to keep hospitals, desalination plants and other life-sustaining services running in the absence of a functioning electricity grid.
However, partners managed to collect over 1,000 pallets of essential supplies yesterday, including hygiene kits, tarpaulins, blankets and medicine.
On the health front, over the past two weeks, nearly 100 patients along with over 130 caregivers were evacuated abroad from Gaza through the Kerem Shalom and Rafah crossings, with support from the World Health Organization and partners.
Meanwhile, thousands of patients – many suffering from life‑changing injuries – still require specialized medical care that is not available inside Gaza. Referral pathways to medical facilities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, remain blocked by the Israeli authorities.
Scaling up health services in Gaza is urgently needed, and this requires facilitating the entry of more critical equipment and medical supplies.
Partners leading on water report that the overall water production in Gaza dropped by about 20 per cent in May compared with two months earlier, largely due to shortages of chemicals and spare parts.
OCHA calls once again for the sustained entry of spare parts, pumps, pipes, engine oils and water treatment chemicals to ensure water and other critical services reach people in need across Gaza.
#Sahel
Humanitarian crisis deepens across Sahel as needs surge
OCHA reports that 24 million people across the Sahel region need humanitarian aid.
This year’s Humanitarian Needs and Response Overview warns the crisis is deepening across Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, northern Cameroon and northeast Nigeria.
The violence continues to spread, with armed groups expanding their reach across the Central Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin. Communities are being uprooted, while schools and health centres are being forced to close.
Climate shocks are compounding the suffering. The Sahel is warming faster than the global average. In 2025 alone, devastating floods affected 590,000 people, while droughts and desertification are destroying farmland that millions of livelihoods depend on.
Humanitarian partners are exploring new ways to expand cash assistance, strengthening anticipatory action, and providing greater support to local organizations.
But last year, the Sahel response received its lowest level of funding in a decade, just 29 per cent of the funds required. As needs rise, the humanitarian community urgently needs flexible and predictable funding to sustain life-saving operations across the region.
#Mauritania
Funds allocated to prepare for drought
OCHA reports that US$2.5 million has been allocated from the Central Emergency Response Fund to help communities in Mauritania prepare for and mitigate the impact of severe drought.
The new funds will allow the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme, UNICEF and their partners to immediately support around 120,000 people ahead of projected severe drought conditions.
This support includes sharing critical early warning messages; providing drought-resistant seeds, cash assistance and livestock feed; and preventing malnutrition among children.
This funding is being released ahead of the drought so that humanitarian partners can act before its worst impacts are felt.
#Haiti
Rising insecurity displaces thousands more people
OCHA says that rising insecurity continues to force more people to flee, particularly in Haiti’s Artibonite department.
The International Organization for Migration reports that on 29 May more than 1,800 people – or over 400 households – were displaced from the commune of Saint-Marc. All displaced families have taken refuge with host communities, further straining already vulnerable households.
The UN and its partners have distributed food, cash and other essential items, but there are critical gaps in the areas of health, protection, education and nutrition.
Meanwhile, in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, armed violence in the neighbourhood of Cité Soleil since 10 May has displaced some 17,500 people. We and our humanitarian partners have distributed thousands of sleeping mats, mattresses, tarpaulins and mosquito nets. More than 9,500 people have also received food assistance and water, sanitation and hygiene support. Humanitarian partners have provided hundreds of medical consultations, including psychosocial support. They have also established child-friendly spaces.
OCHA continues to coordinate humanitarian efforts to support the response but warns that needs are rising rapidly in the face of insecurity.