In addition to ongoing bombardment, Israel issued another three displacement orders over the past two days, covering seven per cent of the total area of the territory. 

Overall, some 71 per cent of the Gaza Strip is under displacement orders or in Israeli-militarized zones, where the Israeli authorities require humanitarian teams to coordinate their movements. 

“These displacement orders come as populations across Gaza are at risk of famine and one in every five people faces starvation,” the agency said.

Thousands uprooted

Evacuation orders announced on Thursday have impacted thousands of residents in 10 neighbourhoods in Deir Al-Balah and Khan Younis, OCHA reported.

Initial assessment indicates that the affected area includes eight wells, five reservoirs, seven humanitarian warehouses, three health clinics and other critical facilities. 

Furthermore, displacement orders issued on Wednesday for six neighbourhoods in North Gaza governorate overlap with parts of zones covered under orders issued the previous day.

“According to preliminary estimates, the newly impacted area is home to approximately 100,000 people,” OCHA said. 

Some 30 sites for internally displaced people, six temporary learning spaces serving approximately 700 students, and several water and sanitation facilities have been affected.

Fleeing families return

Humanitarian partners report that several hundred families fled parts of the designated areas on Wednesday, however dozens have since returned due to lack of space and shelter.  

Another displacement order was also issued that same day for parts of the Rimal area of Gaza City.

OCHA further reported that Israeli forces hit another school-turned-shelter run by the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA, in the Nuseirat area of Deir Al-Balah on Wednesday.  No injuries were reported.

Humanitarians committed to deliver

Meanwhile, the UN and partners on the ground are committed to stay and deliver in the Gaza Strip despite the mounting challenges. 

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) evacuated 284 patients and their companions from the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Younis to Europe and the United Arab Emirates. Israeli forces hit the hospital premises twice one day prior to the scheduled evacuation. 

European Gaza Hospital is no longer functional following the attack, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a tweet on Thursday.

“The hospital’s closure has cut off vital services including neurosurgery, cardiac care, and cancer treatment—all unavailable elsewhere in Gaza,” he said.

He added that another strike near the Indonesian Hospital “spread fear, disrupted access, and raised the risk of closure.” 

Tedros underlined that “hospitals must be protected”, saying “they must never be militarized or targeted.”

Time is of the essence

More than two months have passed since Israel implemented a full blanket ban on the entry of cargo into the Gaza Strip, including aid and other life-saving supplies, which continues to drive hunger and deprivation.  

UN teams report that the number of hot meals provided by community kitchens has fallen from one million to just 249,000 a day.

OCHA Spokesperson Olga Cherevko told UN News that the situation will continue to worsen as supplies run down, forcing more kitchens to close.

“People are terrified and are telling me every day that they don’t know how they will survive,” she said.

“I have passed several kitchens in the past few days where crowds of people were standing with empty pots and despair in their faces, and these people were being told to go home because all the food had run out for that day.”

The UN and partners have 9,000 truckloads of vital supplies ready to move into Gaza, including food assistance to feed millions for months. Thousands more trucks full of aid are on standby.

OCHA reiterated that as long as the full blockade is not immediately lifted, the already limited assistance available will shrink even further, warning “time is of essence to prevent further death.” 

Ambassadors were briefed by the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, who commended Oman for its efforts to achieve the agreement which came into effect on 6 May.

He said the cessation of hostilities represented an important and necessary de-escalation in the Red Sea following the resumption of deadly US airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.

Resolve the conflict

However, recent events show that the country is still ensnared in wider regional tensions, he said, pointing to Houthi attacks on Ben Gurion Airport in Israel and Israel’s subsequent strikes on Hudaydah Port, Sana’a Airport, and other locations.

“Nevertheless, the announcement of 6 May provides a welcome opportunity on which we must collectively build to refocus on resolving Yemen’s conflict and advancing a Yemeni-owned peace process,” he said.

The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, and Yemeni Government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, have been battling for control of the country for more than a decade.

‘Yemenis want to move forward’ 

“The challenges facing Yemen are immense: from the deep and significant levels of mistrust between the parties, with some still reportedly preparing for war, to near economic collapse,” Mr. Grundberg told the Council

He said the UN will continue to work to bring the sides to the table to identify and agree on solutions that are acceptable to all.

“Yemenis want to move forward – the status quo is untenable,” he insisted.  “And while the frontlines may currently appear relatively stable, what Yemen has now is not peace.”

He stressed the need for continued engagement by the international community to help the Yemeni people realize their desire to build a stable, prosperous and safe country.

Release detained staff

Mr. Grundberg used the briefing to again highlight the plight of personnel from the UN, international and national NGOs, civil society and diplomatic missions, who continue to be arbitrarily detained by the Houthis.

“Not only is their detention in violation of international law, but it has also caused a significant chilling effect throughout the international community, which only has one outcome: undermining support to Yemen, which will sadly impact the Yemenis most in need,” he said.

He welcomed the recent release of staff members from the Dutch Embassy and international organization, saying “this demonstrates what is possible, but these releases are woefully insufficient.”

Message to the people

The Special Envoy concluded his remarks by stating that Yemenis have endured over 10 years of instability, uncertainty and economic collapse.

Speaking directly to the population, he reiterated that “I see you. I hear you. You have not been forgotten – and I won’t relent in my efforts to pursue peace and stability in Yemen.”

He urged the warring parties “to be courageous and choose dialogue,” emphasizing that “the United Nations will not waiver in its commitment to support you in finding a negotiated settlement to this conflict.”

Humanitarians ‘running out of time’: Fletcher

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, who also briefed the Council, shared the Special Envoy’s relief at the cessation of hostilities in Yemen.

He stressed, however, that “Yemen is not out of the woods” as the humanitarian situation is deteriorating, with children most affected. 

“Half of Yemen’s children – or 2.3 million – are malnourished. 600,000 of them severely so,” he said.

Childhood killers on the rise

Moreover, “malnutrition is not just about hunger,” he added, as it attacks immunity, leaving children vulnerable to deadly infections like pneumonia and diarrhoea – both leading causes of child mortality in Yemen. 

The country also has one of the worst immunisation rates in the world as only 69 per cent of children under a year old are fully immunized and 20 per cent have received no vaccinations at all.

As a result, diseases such as cholera and measles are rising.  In 2024, Yemen accounted for over a third of global cholera cases and 18 per cent of related deaths, in addition to having one of the highest measles burdens globally.

“Children are not alone in being disproportionately impacted,” said Mr. Fletcher, as malnutrition also affects 1.4 million pregnant and breastfeeding women in Yemen, placing mothers and newborns at grave risk. 

Overall, some 9.6 million women and girls are in severe need of life-saving humanitarian support, he said.

Appeal to the Council

He warned, however, that humanitarians “are running out of time and resources” as their 2025 response plan for Yemen is barely nine per cent funded.

“These shortfalls have very real consequences,” he said. “Nearly 400 health facilities – including 64 hospitals – will stop operating, impacting nearly seven million people.” 

Meanwhile, funding for 700 midwives is quickly running out and 20 therapeutic feeding centres and more than 2,000 therapeutic feeding programmes have already been forced to close down. 

Mr. Fletcher made three requests to the Council, calling first for action to ensure respect for international humanitarian law, including protection of civilians as well as access to all those in need.

He urged ambassadors to also provide scaled-up, flexible funding to sustain critical aid operations.

“Third, and as the Special Envoy has underlined, back efforts towards lasting peace,” he concluded.