Today’s top news: Yemen, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, Ukraine
#Yemen
Humanitarians support thousands despite hostilities, access challenges
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that hostilities in Yemen are forcing people to flee their homes, driving civilian casualties, and putting already stretched humanitarian operations under growing pressure.
At least 18,000 households – or 125,000 people – have been displaced since the start of the month.
The toll on civilians is increasing. Between 1 September and today, the UN Human Rights Office has verified 40 civilian casualties – eight people killed and 32 others injured. Women and children account for half of those killed and more than half of those injured.
The UN and its humanitarian partners continue to respond, despite extremely difficult operating conditions.* As of 12 September, they have provided aid to thousands of households. However, supplies are critically low, and funding is falling short of needs.
Humanitarian access and movements remain severely constrained due to insecurity. Humanitarian movements into and within several locations on Yemen’s west coast remain suspended, while key roads are restricted or impassable.
OCHA once again calls on all parties to protect civilians, respect international humanitarian law, and facilitate safe and unimpeded humanitarian access so that urgently needed assistance can reach communities in need.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Yemen with urgent support.
#Occupied Palestinian Territory
Deadly strikes hit populated areas in Gaza
OCHA remains deeply concerned by reports that civilians are being killed and injured by military strikes hitting populated areas across the Gaza Strip.
UNICEF said yesterday that nine children were reportedly killed or died from their injuries over the previous week – including two sisters aged six and 12, and four other children between the ages of three and 14. The agency said that a pregnant mother and her unborn baby were also reportedly killed by gunfire. At least 13 children were reportedly injured.
Safety and security partners report that military operations continued across all parts of Gaza over the weekend, particularly west of the so-called “Yellow Line.” This included air strikes, shelling, gunfire and naval fire.
Today, Médecins Sans Frontières reported that one of those air strikes yesterday hit a vehicle just metres away from the organization’s clearly identified bus, which was carrying 10 humanitarian staff and was damaged. One of the colleagues was injured.
Civilians and civilian infrastructure – including humanitarians and their supplies and property – must always be protected.
Meanwhile, humanitarian partners warn that the power supply for essential services remains extremely vulnerable to ongoing restrictions on engine oil and spare parts, combined with funding shortfalls for fuel.
Water pumping, desalination plants, health services and food distributions all rely on backup generators and transportation.
According to information collected through the UN 2720 Mechanism, since March, Israeli authorities have approved the entry into Gaza of some 13,500 litres of engine oil, while more than 92,000 litres are still pending approval. These figures do not include engine oil for bakeries.
Without urgent approvals for engine oil and spare parts, people’s access to safe water could worsen even further. Sewage systems could fail if pumping stations shut down, and uncollected waste could build up again.
The UN and its partners continue to buy, import and deliver fuel to power critical facilities. However, fuel is expensive – including due to taxes – while funding for it remains extremely limited. This means that the amounts humanitarians are able to provide are not sufficient. More funding must be secured, and approvals must be given for solar power systems to be imported, alongside the reactivation of the Gaza Power Plant and the electricity grid.
Meanwhile, as summer comes to an end, UNICEF says that more than 290,000 children participated in summer activities that the agency supported across 400 schools, centres and communities across the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Over 90 per cent of participants were in Gaza, where most activities were held in temporary shelters, such as tents. The remaining participants were in vulnerable areas of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where displacement and violence are on the rise.
#Sudan
Families flee as fighting, drone strikes continue
OCHA warns that drone strikes and other hostilities continue to endanger civilians and drive people from their homes across Sudan’s Darfur and Kordofan regions and Blue Nile State.
In North Darfur State, drone strikes yesterday reportedly hit multiple locations in At Tina, on the border between Sudan and Chad.
Elsewhere in the state, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that between 10 and 13 September, nearly 1,200 people were displaced from the villages of Hillat Salih and Kulkul in El Fasher due to increased insecurity. The affected families reportedly fled to Tawila locality. IOM also reports that over the past week, more than 1,200 people were displaced from villages in Um Baru locality due to increased insecurity. The majority of the affected families reportedly crossed the border into Chad.
In West Darfur State, drone attacks were reported in several locations on Saturday. According to local sources, a drone struck a fuel market in Adekong, west of the state capital, El Geneina, near the border with Chad. The towns of Silea’a and Kulbus were also reportedly hit by drones, with casualties reported.
In Blue Nile State, multiple drone strikes were reported yesterday against fuel stations and other critical infrastructure across Ed Damazine, the state capital. Civilian casualties were reported.
The attacks come amid continued displacement across the state. IOM estimates that insecurity displaced nearly 100,000 people across Blue Nile between January and August. This represents an increase of about 66 per cent since late May, when nearly 60,000 displaced people had been recorded.
Across the Kordofan region, continued insecurity is driving displacement and disrupting humanitarian operations, limiting access to vulnerable communities.
In South Kordofan State, more than 7,000 people have reportedly arrived in Abassiya town from surrounding villages in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, in North Kordofan State, displaced people continue to arrive in the state capital El Obeid, putting more pressure on already overcrowded displacement sites and basic services. Al Mina Al Bari camp is hosting about 9,000 families, with continued arrivals further straining limited space and services.
OCHA once again calls on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to allow rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access to all those in need across Sudan.
#Ukraine
Deadly attacks take heavy toll on civilians
OCHA reports that hostilities over the weekend and this morning continue to take a heavy toll on civilians across Ukraine, with people killed and injured and civilian infrastructure damaged.
Authorities reported at least 26 civilians killed and more than 160 injured, including seven children.
The regions of Chernihiv, Dnipro, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia were affected. The heaviest impact was reported in the east and south, where waves of attacks across the Donetsk, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa regions caused multiple casualties and damaged homes, hospitals, warehouses, and administrative and industrial facilities. Damage to shops, farms, pipelines and ambulances were also reported. Today in the city of Kherson, two health workers were injured as their ambulance was hit by a strike.
Local and international humanitarian organizations – with support from UN agencies – provided immediate support, including emergency shelter materials, psychological assistance and hot meals. They also registered people for humanitarian cash assistance.