“It has now been a month and a half since any supplies were last allowed through the crossings into Gaza,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists at the daily media briefing in New York. 

OCHA said about 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip is currently under displacement orders or in “no go” zones.

Over the weekend, the Israeli military issued four new displacement orders, some of them following reports of Palestinian rocket fire.  

The UN was able to “relocate some existing fuel stocks from areas under displacement orders to locations where they are more easily accessible by humanitarian workers,” said Mr. Dujarric.   

A surge in attacks causing mass civilian casualties has been reported by UN partners on the ground, according to OCHA. 

The Al Ahli hospital in Gaza City was targeted by an Israeli strike and has now gone out of service, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. 

Additionally, a UN warehouse in Gaza City and a community food distribution point in Khan Younis were hit and damaged by Israeli strikes over the weekend.   

South Sudan: UN responds to deteriorating security in Upper Nile state

Peacekeepers with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) are stepping up patrols, and engaging with various communities and authorities, amid a deteriorating security situation, the global organization reported on Monday.

This comes as clashes continue in areas of Upper Nile State between the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLA-iO), causing casualties and displacement.

Elsewhere, intercommunal violence in Warrap and Lakes states is also rising, with over 200 deaths reported in recent weeks.

Accord in Abyei

Meanwhile, the UN is highlighting positive developments in Abyei, the disputed oil-rich region straddling Sudan and South Sudan.

Sixty youth leaders from the Ngok Dinka community of Abyei and the Twic Dinka community of Warrap State in South Sudan recently signed an agreement committing to an immediate cessation of hostilities.

The parties agreed to re-open key routes enabling the free and secure movement of both people and goods. They also pledged to collaborate to counter misinformation and hate speech.

The accord was the result of a four-day dialogue attended by key peace partners including the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and UNMISS.

Both missions reaffirmed their full support towards these efforts and to strengthening dialogue and harmony between communities. 

Ecuador oil spill affects 150,000, UN assessment finds

A massive oil spill in Ecuador last month has left at least 150,000 people in need of humanitarian assistance, according to an assessment by UN aid coordination office OCHA.

The disaster was caused by the rupture of the SOTE pipeline in Esmeraldas province in March, resulting in the spilling of over 25,000 barrels of oil.

The UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team, which is part of OCHA, carried out the assessment.

In addition to the thousands affected, the team also pointed to a concerning increase in respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, as well as limited access to safe drinking water.

People’s livelihoods have been particularly hit hard, especially in fishing, agriculture and shellfish harvesting. 

OCHA said more than 37,000 women have lost their means of earning a living. Many are shellfish gatherers and now face growing health risks and exposure to gender-based violence.

The UN is testing water from affected rivers, treatment plants and seafood from the ocean for hydrocarbons and heavy metals, as it could have long term environmental and health repercussions.

UN Resident Coordinator in Ecuador, Lena Savelli, has shared the findings and recommendations with Government ministers and the national humanitarian forum.

The top official also reiterated the UN’s commitment to support the Government with technical assistance. 

With fighting showing no sign of abating and humanitarian access extremely limited, the crisis in Sudan has become one of the world’s largest emergencies, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned on Monday.

“This is a very, very sad milestone,” Mamadou Dian Balde, UNHCR Regional Director for East Africa said, marking two years since the outbreak of war.

“We are seeing massive violations, massive displacements and a devastating impact on millions of people.”

A humanitarian catastrophe

The war, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has triggered a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe.

More than half the population – around 25 million people – require humanitarian assistance and protection, but funding shortfalls and insecurity have left vast swaths of the country beyond reach.

The UNHCR-led $1.8 billion Regional Refugee Response Plan for 2025 – which aimed to support 4.8 million refugees and host community members – remains only 10 per cent funded, Mr. Balde said, jeopardizing essential services such as food, shelter, education and healthcare.

“Communities that have very little are sharing what they have with the refugees. It is an extraordinary show of solidarity,” he added, urging the international community to step up support for the most vulnerable across the region.

Thousands of lives at risk

Hunger has reached catastrophic levels in Sudan, with famine confirmed in 10 areas and 17 more at risk, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

In some areas, emergency food assistance is the only barrier preventing starvation. However, vital operations are constrained by insecurity and lack of funds.

“Without immediate assistance, especially in famine or famine-risk areas, thousands of lives are at risk,” said Makena Walker, WFP Acting Country Director in Sudan.

“We can scale up – but we need all parties to guarantee safe, unhindered access for humanitarian convoys,” she added.

Children hit hardest

Children remain among the hardest hit.

According to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), child casualties this year have surged by 83 per cent compared to early 2024. Children are also at severe risk of sexual and gender-based violence or being forced into armed groups, on top of already losing out on education.

In addition, an estimated 146,000 children are projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year, leaving them up to 11 times more likely to die than a well-nourished child.

A public health emergency

The crisis has also spiralled into a public health emergency, with over 20.3 million people now in urgent need of medical care. Cholera, measles, malaria and dengue are spreading rapidly across two-thirds of Sudan’s states, with cholera alone claiming over 1,500 lives.

This situation is unravelling against a health infrastructure on the brink of collapse: 38 per cent of hospitals in the worst affected regions are non-functional and the remaining only partially operational, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

Attacks on healthcare have surged, with 156 attacks verified over the past two years, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries.

“In addition to being a famine crisis, the humanitarian situation in Sudan is also a protection and health crisis,” said Shible Sahbani, WHO Representative in the country.

The UN health agency is determined to continue working to improve health access for Sudan’s people. However, recent funding cuts have forced WHO to scale back operations, potentially affecting health services.

If funding does not flow, 4.7 million people targeted for health interventions this year will be affected. Services at 335 health facilities will also have to be reduced, including trauma and emergency care.

© UNICEF/Mohammed Abdulmajid

A woman carries water to her shelter in a camp for internally displaced persons in eastern Sudan.

Working against the odds

Despite the challenges, UN humanitarians and partners continue their efforts to reach the most vulnerable communities with lifesaving assistance.

Since the war began, WFP has provided over 13 million people with food and nutrition support. For its part WHO, has supported over one million people with health services, treated 75,000 severely malnourished children and helped vaccinate 11.5 million children against polio and measles.

But aid workers warn the situation is deteriorating fast, particularly in the states of Darfur and parts of Khartoum and Al-Jazirah (also spelled Gezira), where active fighting and sieges are cutting civilians off from assistance.

Mr. Balde reiterated the urgent need for the international community to help silence the guns, “we call for peace, protection and sustained support – [only then] normalcy can return, and refugees can return home.”