“Goma airport is a lifeline,” said Bruno Lemarquis. “Without it, the evacuation of the seriously injured, the delivery of medical supplies and the reception of humanitarian reinforcements are paralyzed.”

Growing casualties

The M23 armed group, supported by Rwandan troops, seized the airport last week as its fighters swept through Goma – the regional capital of North Kivu. Several hundred people have reportedly been killed in the hostilities, with tens of thousands more forced to flee their homes.

Rebels have seized control of large areas of Goma, setting up checkpoints and severely restricting humanitarian access, according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). This has disrupted the delivery of food, water, and medical aid for up to two million people.

Humanitarian workers also face restricted access to displacement camps, limiting the provision of essential services, including emergency obstetric care.

An absolute emergency

Mr. Lemarquis urged all parties to “shoulder their responsibilities” and facilitate the immediate reopening of the airport.

“Every hour lost puts more lives at risk. This is an absolute emergency. All those involved must act without delay to enable humanitarian flights to resume operations and guarantee access to relief supplies,” he stressed.

“The survival of thousands of people depends on it.”

Sexual violence ‘tragically routine’

Meanwhile, UN Women, the Organization’s lead agency for protection of women and girls, warned that reports of sexual violence and exploitation have become “tragically routine.”

“As the clashes unfold in a country that has endured prolonged instability, women and girls are bearing the brunt of both direct and indirect consequences, with their rights, safety, and dignity increasingly under threat,” said the agency’s Sofia Calltorp, Chief of Humanitarian Action, briefing journalists in Geneva.

Local women’s organizations have reported widespread sexual violence, forced displacement, and severe gaps in basic social as well as protection services.

With the situation worsening, UN Women called for immediate action by State and non-state actors in DRC as well as the wider international community to combat sexual and gender-based violence and end impunity for perpetrators.

Aftermath in Goma

In Goma, displacement sites around the city have been abandoned and destroyed, with water, sanitation, and health facilities severely damaged, according to UN aid coordination office, OCHA.

The city has also seen a surge in crime, including vehicle hijackings and looting of humanitarian warehouses belonging to UN agencies and partner organizations.

Although some businesses have resumed operations, schools remain closed, internet services are down, and hospitals are overwhelmed. The UN World Health Organization (WHO) is warning of potential disease outbreaks, including mpox, cholera and measles.

South Kivu

In South Kivu’s Kalehe territory, clashes since 25 January between the Congolese army and M23 rebels have displaced thousands. Some 6,900 people have fled to Bukavu, while others are seeking refuge in host communities.

The situation remains dire, with a worsening cholera outbreak due to disrupted health services.

Adding to the crisis, the 90-day suspension of US humanitarian funding is severely impacting food security, sanitation and relief efforts in both North and South Kivu, humanitarian partners warned. 

Clementine Nkweta-Salami issued a statement on Tuesday lamenting the “relentless” intensifying shelling, air and drone strikes against civilians in the Darfur and Kordofan regions, and other conflict-affected areas.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and military rivals the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been locked in a battle for power since April 2023, causing widespread death, destruction and displacement.

Indiscriminate attacks ‘deeply alarming’

“Reports of continued indiscriminate attacks on homes, markets and displacement camps are deeply alarming,” said Ms. Nkweta-Salami.  “This is not warfare – this is a ruthless assault on human life.”

Furthermore, “the use of starvation as a weapon of war against innocent people in Al Fasher, North Darfur, is appalling.”

She stressed that the laws of war are clear, noting that all sides to the conflict have a legal and moral obligation to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

“The world cannot look away as civilians are caught in the crossfire, bearing the brunt of a war that continues to disregard the most fundamental rules of armed conflict and international humanitarian law,” she said.

The senior official once again called on all sides to respect international humanitarian law, stop targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, and allow immediate, unimpeded humanitarian access to those in need. 

“This war must not continue to be fought at the expense of the lives of innocent Sudanese children, women and men,” she said.

Gaza ceasefire must hold, UN relief chief notes during visit to Israel and OPT

The UN’s top aid official continues his week-long visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory focused on engaging with authorities, aid partners and those on the frontlines of the humanitarian response.

Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher was in Nir Oz in southern Israel on Tuesday, where a quarter of all residents were killed or taken hostage in the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023. 

 In a social media post, he stressed that the ceasefire must hold, that all civilians must be protected, and that all hostages must be freed. 

Aid to Gaza

Mr. Fletcher also held several meetings with Israeli officials, both on Tuesday and on Monday night.

They discussed ways to sustain the surge of humanitarian support to Gaza, as well as the ongoing challenges in the West Bank, where violence has risen. 

The UN and humanitarian partners estimate more than 565,000 people have crossed from the south of Gaza to the north since 27 January, while more than 45,000 people have been observed making the journey from the north to the south.  

Mr. Fletcher arrived in the region on Monday and met Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, in addition to holding separate talks with the president of the Palestine Red Cresent Society. 

WHO honours people affected by cancer on World Day against the disease

This Tuesday, 4 February, is World Cancer Day and UN health agency WHO is honouring the courage of people affected by the disease and celebrating scientific progress to treat it.

“Every minute, 40 people are diagnosed with cancer globally, and embark on a journey to overcome it,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted in a post on the social media platform X.

He said that “around the world, WHO is working with partners to create global coalitions, catalyze local action and amplify the voices of people affected by cancer.”

Its efforts to improve the lives of millions include providing medicines for paediatric cancers as well as a global campaign aimed at eliminating cervical cancer.

Tedros also used the commemoration of World Cancer Day to affirm WHO’s commitment to health for all. 

The explosion on Monday – close to the Turkish border – targeted a vehicle transporting seasonal agricultural workers. According to news reports, at least 11 women and three children were among the dead.

It follows another attack just days earlier that killed four civilians and injured nine others, including six children. Monday’s car bombing was reportedly the seventh in just over a month and it marks the deadliest attack inside Syria since the fall of the Assad regime.

The area has been a battleground for Turkish-backed forces and mostly Kurdish fighters. No group has claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack so far.

“We reiterate that all parties must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, briefing journalists in New York.

“Civilians and civilian infrastructure should never be targeted.”

Thousands displaced

Meanwhile, hostilities persist in northeast Syria, particularly in eastern Aleppo, Al-Hasakeh and Ar-Raqqa, where over 25,000 have been displaced.

Shelling, airstrikes, and ongoing clashes have devastated communities, leading to widespread destruction of homes, hospitals, and essential infrastructure, according to a humanitarian bulletin issued by UN relief coordination office, OCHA.

Across the country, lack of public services and funding have made it difficult for humanitarian organizations to respond.

In Homs and Hama, electricity is available for only 45 to 60 minutes every eight hours, while in northwest Syria, more than 100 health facilities have run out of funding since the start of the year.

The UN and its partners are appealing for $1.2 billion to assist 6.7 million of Syria’s most vulnerable people through March 2025.

Humanitarian efforts

Despite the challenges, UN agencies and partners continue their efforts to deliver assistance and monitor the situation, as security allows.

On February 3, a UN cross-border mission from Türkiye to Idlib assessed cash distribution efforts – part of a broader effort to reach communities in need.

“So far in 2025, we completed 40 cross-border missions to Syria, mostly to monitor and assess projects – nearly double the number of missions that we had at the same time last year,” Mr. Dujarric said.

On January 30, UN teams also conducted an assessment mission to Sweida, close to the Jordanian border, marking the first UN presence in the area since October 2023. The visit revealed critical shortages of drinking water and irrigation resources, exacerbated by years of drought.

Refugee returns

Meanwhile, a recent survey by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, found that 27 per cent of Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt, plan to return home within the next 12 months – a sharp increase from less than 2 per cent recorded in April last year.

Since the fall of the Assad regime in December, to 23 January, over 210,000 Syrians have returned with many facing challenges related to destroyed property, lack of infrastructure, and security concerns.

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Syria are also beginning to return home, albeit in small numbers.

Since early December, approximately 57,000 IDPs – mostly single-family groups or individuals – have left IDP camps.

However, nearly two million people remain in over 1,500 camps across Idlib and northern Aleppo, where safety concerns and a lack of essential services continue to hinder returns.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher is in the region as a fragile ceasefire and hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas continues to hold in Gaza, amid rising violence in the West Bank.

He will engage with authorities, aid partners and those on the frontlines of the humanitarian response.

“Humanitarian needs are huge – we must be practical, innovative and persistent,” he wrote in a post on the social media platform X.

Understand obstacles, strengthen coordination

Mr. Fletcher held discussions with Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and several Palestinian ministers.  

He also met Dr. Younis Al-Khatib, President of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, to discuss the challenges that emergency responders are facing.

“Palestine Red Crescent teams have been saving lives under impossible conditions, showing extraordinary courage – too many paying the ultimate price,” he wrote in another social media post.

He’s also scheduled to meet Israeli and Palestinian officials and visit areas in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Israel to better understand obstacles facing aid partners, and strengthen humanitarian coordination. 

Aid scale-up

The UN and partners are expanding life-saving aid operations as more humanitarian supplies enter Gaza. They are also assessing the needs of Palestinians across the enclave and adapting the response accordingly. 

OCHA noted that displaced people continue to move between southern and northern Gaza as they reunite with family and start rebuilding their lives. 

Latest figures indicate that more than 545,000 people are estimated to have crossed from the south to the north over the past week, while more than 36,000 people have been observed moving in the opposite direction.

Keeping children safe

Furthermore, partners working in the protection sector have distributed identity bracelets to more than 30,000 children under the age of four to help prevent family separation.

“This effort was critical, as partners reportedly received more than 250 young children who had been separated from their caregivers while crossing to the north,” OCHA said.

Protection and services

In North Gaza governorate, protection partners said three temporary sites have been established in Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya and Jabalya, each of which can host 5,000 people. 

The UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency UNFPA has also reported the expansion of protection services for women in Jabalya, as well as in Gaza city.  

The World Food Programme (WFP) noted that prices have started to fall since the ceasefire took effect and as more humanitarian commodities enter Gaza, although they still remain above pre-conflict levels. 

One-third of households reportedly have better access to food, but consumption remains significantly below levels prior to the crisis. “For most households, the primary obstacle is lack of cash,” OCHA said.

Meanwhile, partners working on education report that some 280,000 school-aged children in Gaza have registered in the e-learning programme run by the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA. 

West Bank update

OCHA also reported on the situation in the West Bank, where an ongoing operation by Israeli forces in Jenin and Tulkarm has expanded to nearby Tubas governorate, resulting in further death, destruction and displacement.

The agency warned that “once again that lethal, war-like tactics are being applied, raising concerns over the use of force that exceeds law enforcement standards.”

On Monday, Israeli forces raided El Far’a refugee camp and blocked the entrances. As a result, dozens of families have reportedly fled the camp, fearing a larger Israeli operation.

This came a day after Israeli forces reportedly destroyed 20 residential structures in the Jenin refugee camp where more than 50 families were living.

They also conducted house-to-house searches in the town of Tammun, displacing as many as 15 families and blocking the town’s entrance.

OCHA reported that the Palestinian death toll in recent Israeli operations in the West Bank now stands at 39 since 21 January, the day when the operation in Jenin began.

“Meanwhile, tight movement restrictions across the West Bank continue to hamper access to basic services, leaving Palestinians queuing for hours at Israeli checkpoints or forced to take significantly longer detours,” the agency said. 

Many of the victims are believed to be from the Darfur and Kordofan regions.

“The Secretary-General reminds all warring parties in Sudan of their obligations under international law, especially in relation to the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure,” said his Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, briefing correspondents in New York.

“Sudanese women, Sudanese children and Sudanese men are paying the price for the continued fighting by the belligerents,” he stated.

Government troops have been battling their former allies-turned military rivals, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), for control of Sudan since April 2023.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk described the “senseless” war where alleged war crimes have been committed on both sides as having taken an “even more dangerous turn for civilians” – as reports mount of brutal, ethnically targeted killings.

Mr. Türk’s office, OHCHR, is working to corroborate these reports.

Humanitarian crisis escalates

Attacks on civilians continue across Sudan, Mr. Dujarric said.

On Saturday, a strike on a crowded market in Omdurman reportedly killed at least 60 people and injured more than 150, according to UN humanitarians.

Civilian casualties have also been reported in North Kordofan, as well as North and South Darfur.

Aid coordination office, OCHA, has warned of rising fatalities, particularly following reported attacks on the Abu Shouk displacement camp, where famine conditions were identified in December.

UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, condemned the indiscriminate attacks at the weekend, stating: “The deliberate targeting of civilian areas represents a blatant disregard for human life and the most basic principles of the laws of war. Such atrocities must cease immediately.”

Rising malnutrition and starvation

The food crisis in Sudan is worsening, with reports confirming more than 70 hunger-related deaths – mostly among children – in Khartoum State, according to OCHA.

In January alone, over 1,100 cases of severe malnutrition were recorded in three Omdurman neighbourhoods, underscoring the dire need for food assistance.

Malnutrition rates are particularly high in areas where access restrictions have forced the closure of community kitchens, a critical lifeline for many families.

“We stress once again the urgent need for increased funding and logistical support to sustain nutrition programmes and community kitchens, ensuring that the most vulnerable – especially children and older people – receive adequate food, nutrition and healthcare assistance,” Mr. Dujarric said.

As the humanitarian catastrophe worsens, the UN reiterates its call for all parties to protect civilians and facilitate access to life-saving aid.

“The suffering of Sudanese civilians has gone on for too long,” Ms. Nkweta-Salami said. “It’s long past time to end this war and prevent further devastation.”