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

#Ukraine

UN relief chief meets displaced families, people injured by drone attacks

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, arrived in Ukraine yesterday.

Today in the south of the country, Fletcher visited the regions of Mykolaiv and Kherson. In Kherson, he met displaced families at collective sites and heard from patients at the regional hospital about the psychological toll of living in front-line areas. Among the patients were victims of drone attacks who suffered severe physical injuries and amputations.

Fletcher also met the regional governor in Kherson and discussed operational challenges with aid workers and local organizations.

Meanwhile, attacks across Ukraine yesterday and this morning killed more than 20 civilians and injured dozens more, according to the authorities. In the Kharkiv region, a missile strike in the town of Pechenihy killed at least 10 people and left nearly 20 injured. In the Kherson region, strikes on energy infrastructure caused widespread power outages.

Despite the dangers, humanitarian organizations continue to provide assistance across the country. Thanks to donor support, they were able to reach 3 million people with at least one form of assistance in the first half of the year.* Sixty per cent of people in front-line areas received support.

Tomorrow is World Humanitarian Day, and Fletcher will speak to journalists remotely from Kyiv at 12 p.m. New York time during the UN Spokesperson’s press briefing, which will also be livestreamed via UN Web TV.

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

#Colombia

Humanitarians continue to deliver vital aid after earthquake

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that following the earthquake that struck Colombia just over a week ago, the UN and its humanitarian partners have provided assistance to 3,000 people across the departments of Chocó, Valle del Cauca and Risaralda, complementing the Government-led response.

The support includes water, sanitation and hygiene, health and food.

The UN has also established a coordination hub in the western city of Pereira to work alongside local authorities.

More than 186,000 people have been affected by the earthquake and over 300 have lost their lives, according to authorities. Almost 30,000 homes were damaged beyond repair, and infrastructure – including hundreds of health and education facilities – was severely damaged. As assessments continue, this figure could increase.

#Occupied Palestinian Territory 

West Bank: humanitarian crisis deepens as security worsens

OCHA warns that security and the humanitarian situation continue to worsen across the West Bank. 

In the northern West Bank yesterday, Israeli forces instructed about 10 Palestinian families in the Jabal An Naser neighbourhood of Tulkarm to leave their homes for seven hours, due to military activities near Nur Shams Camp.

Israeli military bulldozers excavated part of a road, damaging water and sewage networks, and carried out excavation works on Palestinian land before withdrawing. Families reportedly returned to their homes, and municipal crews repaired the damaged infrastructure once Israeli forces withdrew.

These incidents are taking place against the backdrop of a broader deterioration in the West Bank, where escalating violence, expanding settler presence, severe restrictions on movement and access, and shrinking economic opportunities have become the norm.

Gaza: civilians face ongoing risks amid continued military activities

Humanitarian partners are concerned about the impact of continued military activities on civilians in Gaza.

Since yesterday and as of this morning, partners leading on security and safety reported incidents involving air strikes, shelling, gunfire and naval fire, primarily west of the so-called “Yellow Line” – which is where most of Gaza’s 2.1 million people are confined within less than half of the Strip’s land.

The Food and Agriculture Organization also warned yesterday that Gaza’s agricultural capacity has been devastated. A new assessment found that only 3 per cent of cropland remains both accessible and undamaged, further undermining local food production and farmers’ livelihoods. 

Despite ongoing military activities and restrictions, the UN and its partners continue to deliver aid, support essential services and facilitate critical humanitarian operations wherever possible.

Since Sunday, the UN and its partners have successfully coordinated with the Israeli authorities to carry out several missions in Gaza – including to the Kerem Shalom and Rafah crossings – to monitor humanitarian cargo, collect fuel and support medical evacuations.

#Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ebola response team attacked in Ituri province

OCHA says that an Ebola response team was attacked yesterday in the town of Aru, in the north of Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

According to humanitarian partners, three ambulances were vandalized and an ambulance driver was injured during an incident linked to the transfer of a suspected Ebola patient.

The UN Senior Ebola Coordinator, Julien Harneis, said that the damage to ambulances – of which there are already far too few – deprives communities of a vital service.

The attack comes as humanitarian and health workers intensify efforts to scale up the Ebola response under increasingly challenging conditions. As of 15 August, national health authorities had reported nearly 5,000 confirmed Ebola cases and more than 2,300 deaths, with Ituri remaining the epicentre of the outbreak.

Insecurity continues to affect civilians and humanitarian operations across the province. Humanitarian partners report that five civilians were killed and about 50 farmers were abducted during an attack on 15 August in Mambasa Territory. This follows another attack earlier this month that reportedly killed 16 people and displaced more than 15,000 people.

OCHA calls on all parties to protect civilians, health workers and humanitarian personnel, and to ensure the safe delivery of life-saving assistance and health services. Protecting response teams and maintaining safe access to affected communities remain essential to containing the outbreak

#Chad

UN relief chief fast-tracks funds to fight cholera

Emergency Relief Coordinator Fletcher has allocated US$1 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support the response to cholera in Chad.

The outbreak has now reached the western Lac Province, where newly displaced people face heightened risk due to lack of access to adequate water, sanitation, maternal health and other essential services.

Fletcher said the funding will help partners bolster surveillance, treatment capacity, and safe water and sanitation.

As of 16 August, 484 cholera cases and 21 deaths have been reported across three provinces in Chad, including 218 cases in Lac Province.

Earlier this month, Fletcher released $3 million from CERF to fund vital aid for thousands of people displaced by violence in Lac Province. In addition, the Humanitarian Coordinator, Dr. François Batalingaya, has allocated $3 million from the Regional Humanitarian Fund for West and Central Africa.

Since May, armed clashes have forced more than 75,000 people – mostly women and children – to flee, with many families arriving at displacement sites that have little or no shelter, water, health, nutrition and protection services.