Category: United Nations

Since the ceasefire on 19 January, some 138,000 Palestinians have benefited from cash assistance, including people with disabilities and pregnant and breastfeeding women.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that market conditions across Gaza have improved since the ceasefire took effect. Goods are reportedly less expensive, and more commodities are available. 

Diet diversity improving

Furthermore, for the first time since July, children under age five and pregnant and breastfeeding women have a more diverse diet. They are consuming more fruit, vegetables, eggs and dairy products.                                                                    

Humanitarians also continue to provide shelter support to people in Gaza, with the UN Palestine refugee agency, UNRWA, distributing tents, tarpaulins, blankets, mattresses, clothes and kitchen items to thousands of families hosted in 120 shelters. 

West Bank hostilities

Meanwhile, OCHA remains concerned by Israeli forces’ ongoing operations in the northern part of the West Bank which began on 21 January, the longest there since the early 2000s. 

OCHA warned that settler violence also continues. Between 11 and 17 February, the agency documented 34 incidents – an average of almost five per day – involving settlers and resulting in casualties or property damage. 

In one incident, Israeli settlers severed agricultural water pipes in the Tulkarm governorate, affecting the livelihoods of a dozen Palestinian farmers. 

During the same period, nearly 40 Palestinians were displaced near Al Maniya village in Bethlehem following recurrent attacks from Israeli settlers over the past year.   

Access restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities continue to hinder Palestinians’ movement, affecting access to markets, workplaces, emergency services and health and educational facilities.

OCHA has documented the displacement of almost 2,300 Palestinians, including 1,100 children, across the West Bank since the start of 2023 due to heightened settler violence and access restrictions by Israeli authorities. 

In other developments:

Ensure return of human remains

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the Secretary-General is deeply concerned by reports that the remains of an Israeli hostage in Gaza, Shiri Bibas, which were due to be returned on Thursday alongside her children’s remains, are still missing.

The Secretary-General “stresses the imperative to respect the dignity of the deceased and to ensure their remains are returned to their families in accordance with international humanitarian law and human rights law,” he said.

He underlined that every release must be carried out with the utmost dignity and in line with humanitarian principles.

The Secretary-General renewed his appeal to the parties to abide by all their commitments and continue the full implementation of the ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Briefing from Ukrainian capital Kyiv after another night of “air sirens and more loud explosions”, Mr. Schmale noted that the crisis began in 2014, with Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. “So, all children that were born since – all children up to the age of 11 – have never experienced their country at peace,” he said.

According to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, 2024 saw a 30 per cent increase in civilian casualties compared to 2023. “The humanitarian situation is worsening, especially in frontline areas,” it said in an update, highlighting that a full 36 per cent of Ukraine’s population – 12.7 million people – needs humanitarian aid this year.

“There are very strong pushes by the armed forces of the Russian Federation along the front line and evacuations are ongoing,” Mr. Schmale explained. “We are supporting people with essential goods, including cash assistance, as they are on the move to transit centres, collective sites and wherever they end up being.”

Speaking from Zaporizhzhia in southeast Ukraine, Toby Fricker from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that more than 2,520 children have been killed or injured since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.

“The real number is likely far higher and it’s getting worse”, said Mr. Fricker, chief of communication in Ukraine. “There was a more than 50 per cent increase in child casualties in 2024 compared to 2023 and what we see is no place is safe: schools, maternity wards, children’s hospitals, all have been affected by attacks.”

Behind battle lines

Underscoring the essential role played by women in Ukraine “beyond the battlefield”, UN Women Geneva Director Sofia Calltorp explained that “there is another story unfolding, and that is the story of all those women and girls who are bearing the brunt of this war.”

In 2024, the number of people killed and injured in Ukraine increased by 30 per cent, Ms. Calltorp noted. “Of them, 800 women lost their lives and more than 3,700 women were injured last year in Ukraine. We also know that the vast majority of Ukrainian refugees and displaced persons are women, and 6.7 million women are in need of lifesaving humanitarian assistance.”

Funding crisis

Responding to questions about the impact of the US funding freeze on humanitarian work, Ukraine Humanitarian Coordinator Mr. Schmale expressed “hope that US funding will become part of the equation. Last year, it made up 30 per cent of what we spent on the humanitarian side, 10 per cent on the development side.”

The UN’s top aid official in Ukraine added: “We are of course worried about the funding freezes; as we all know, it’s not the end of the day yet, there are a lot of discussions going on. We have some of our partners, including within the UN, that have received some exemptions from the general freeze of funding, but so far, no money has been flowing as a result of those exemptions.”

In addition to repeated attacks on energy infrastructure across Ukraine, other public facilities have also been targeted, with 780 health centres and more than 1,600 schools damaged or destroyed, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

“In Odessa this week we saw a health clinic providing care for 40,000 children and a kindergarten serving 250 of the youngest children were severely damaged in an attack,” said Dr Jarno Harbicht, WHO Country Representative for Ukraine. “When a children’s hospital is hit, a school shelled or electric grid destroyed, children suffer even when they survive.”

Haunted by drones

The mental stress faced by millions of Ukrainians because of the war is real and debilitating, the WHO official continued: “Imagine a young mother in Kharkiv region in Ukraine, her days interrupted by air raid sirens and her nights haunted by drones. Each day is a struggle balancing her children’s safety with their anxiety that has become her constant companion.”

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission (HRMMU) has confirmed the killing of more than 12,654 civilian men, women, girls, and boys since the full-scale Russian invasion on 24 February 2022, with nearly 30,000 injured. Eighty-four per cent of the casualties happened in territory controlled by the Ukrainian government and 16 per cent in territory occupied by Russia.

“Three years of full-scale conflict in Ukraine have wrought persistent and escalating human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law,” said Danielle Bell, Chief of HRMMU. “As the civilian toll grows heavier, the human rights of all those affected must remain at the forefront of  any negotiations for sustainable peace.”

Rising toll

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission (HRMMU) has confirmed the killing of more than 12,654 civilian men, women, girls, and boys since the full-scale Russian invasion on 24 February 2022, with nearly 30,000 injured. Eighty-four per cent of the casualties happened in territory controlled by the Ukrainian government and 16 per cent in territory occupied by Russia.

“Three years of full-scale conflict in Ukraine have wrought persistent and escalating human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law,” said Danielle Bell, Chief of HRMMU. “As the civilian toll grows heavier, the human rights of all those affected must remain at the forefront of  any negotiations for sustainable peace.”

Hamas militants said the bodies of the four people who were returned to Tel Aviv on Thursday morning were those of a mother and two children from the Bibas family, along with 84-year-old peace activist Oded Lifshitz.

It is the first time that Hamas – which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2006 – has returned the bodies of hostages seized during the terror attacks it launched on 7 October 2023, since the ceasefire with Israel came into effect last month.

Addressing correspondents at the daily briefing in New York, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that under international law, any handover of a dead person’s remains “must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, ensuring respect for the dignity of the deceased – and their families.”

“I can tell you that the Secretary-General condemns the parading of bodies and displaying of the coffins of the deceased hostages in the manner seen this morning, which is abhorrent and appalling,” said Mr. Dujarric.

Ceasefire must continue

The Secretary-General also reiterated his appeal to all combatants who are party to the fragile ceasefire process to stand by their commitments and continue the full implementation of the deal.

Six hostages are due to be freed on Saturday.

Hamas claimed in November 2023 that Shiri Bibas and her two sons had been killed during an Israeli airstrike but provided no evidence. Israelis gathered in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on Thursday observed a minute’s silence following news of the handover.

“The hearts of an entire nation lie in tatters,” said Israel’s President Isaac Herzog.

Respect for the dead

The UN chief urged the parties to the conflict “to respect the remains of the dead and to return them to their relatives, consistent with applicable obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law.”

The UN has long called for the release of all hostages, a permanent ceasefire and irreversible progress towards a two-State solution, Mr. Dujarric reminded.

Aid for civilians in Gaza continues to scale-up

The Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi, together with the head of UN migration agency IOM, Amy Pope, heard pleas for urgent shelter and support during a visit to southern areas of Gaza on Thursday.

Mr. Hadi and Ms. Pope also met with humanitarian partners, staff and heads of UN agencies to discuss the ongoing response.

Humanitarian assistance in Gaza continues to scale up, said Mr. Dujarric, with nearly all those in need now reached with food parcels, including rations for one month for most families.

Polio vaccinations

Meanwhile, preparations continue for the third round of polio vaccinations across Gaza, due to resume on Saturday.  

The World Health Organization (WHO) and children’s agency UNICEF have warned the current environment in Gaza “creates ideal conditions for further spread of the poliovirus, as transmission can happen in overcrowded shelters and when water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure is damaged.”

The UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA, reports that nearly 2,400 postpartum kits have been distributed to all hospitals that provide maternity services over the past two weeks, Mr. Dujarric added. 

Tom Fletcher was addressing the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) which was set up by the UN General Assembly in the early 1990s as a coordination forum for humanitarian aid worldwide.

“The humanitarian community confronts a massive funding, morale, and legitimacy crisis,” he said, framing his remarks as personal reflections based on earlier discussions within the IASC.

“We took time to recognize the devastating impact that funding cuts will have on those we serve, our partners, and our teams,” he continued.

Without referencing any specific loss in funding – but against the backdrop of a suspension of most humanitarian spending by the new administration in Washington – Mr. Fletcher appealled for the aid community to be “calm, brave, principled, and united.”

He said they need to make the case strongly for greater international solidarity.

“We can draw confidence from extraordinary progress made by humanitarians over decades. The mission is right. Our allies are still out there. But the delivery system is struggling. We need to be lighter, faster, and less bureaucratic.”

Four-point plan

The UN relief chief said there needed to be four priorities: first, be clear that saving lives is paramount.

“We agreed to remain independent, neutral, and impartial. This does not mean we do not pick a side: we are on the side of those in greatest need.”

Secondly, he said duplication and bureaucracy must be pared down under a new “bold plan” of action.

“Donors must simplify too. We must innovate or become obsolete. We will prioritize robustly and make the toughest choices. I have commissioned urgent work to identify how we could reach the 100 million people in greatest need.”

‘Genuine partnership’ with private sector

He said aid chiefs must find new partners, not just rely on traditional sources and governments. This must include “genuine partnership” with the private sector and the World Bank.

“I believe there is a movement of billions of people who care, and who want to act in solidarity with those in most need. We should launch a public campaign to fill in the gaps left by governments, targeting the equivalent of 0.7 per cent for each country.”

Mr. Fletcher said turf wars between agencies need to end with each organization focusing on what it does “uniquely well”.

Leadership needs to be empowered, he added, with great authority vested in UN Humanitarian Coordinators throughout the system.

Third, there needs to be more devolution, giving more power and accountability to local partners who are suffering the most from cuts.

Fourth, aid workers need to defend their work more robustly.

End impunity

“We need to call time on the era of impunity: end attacks on civilians and aid workers; and hold perpetrators to account. We must communicate more clearly the impact we have and the cost of inaction, with humanity not institutions at the heart of the story.”

Humanitarians worldwide are “underfunded, overstretched and under attack,” he declared, but the argument for lifesaving aid has not been lost: “Our cause is mighty, and our movement is strong.”

UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, reported on Thursday that 35,000 Congolese nationals have now reached Burundi since the beginning of February, as Rwanda-backed M23 fighters continue to advance across both South and North Kivu.

The UN human rights office (OHCHR) in DRC also expressed concern over growing lawlessness as warlords responsible for grave crimes including rape, were reportedly sprung from prison in Goma, Kabare and Bukavu in recent days.

These former detainees are now at large and pose a threat to their former victims and judges who sentenced them, along with the lawyers who represented victims of sexual violence, said Patrice Vahard, Director of the UN Joint Human Rights Office in DR Congo (UNJHRO).

“The consequences will be huge, first for the state of law, but in particular for these women who believed in justice because they received help, but who unfortunately now risk being confronted by some of their tormentors.”

Burundi arrivals

UNHCR spokesperson Olga Sarrado told UN News that those fleeing DR Congo are entering Burundi via its northwestern border.

“The vast majority are women and children, they are arriving exhausted, tired,” she said. “Many of them tell our teams on the ground that they have lost family members, sometimes children, while they were fleeing.”

Ms. Sarrado described dire conditions at the border and said that the majority of those arriving from DRC do so by unofficial means, with many taking risks to cross the Ruzizi River.

“Some of them are sheltering in the open, just in makeshift shelters, others are being sheltered in schools and also in a stadium at the border,” the UN refugee agency official added.

Needs are increasing and there is a significant shortage of basic services in the displacement shelters including toilets, food and water.

Goma aid lifeline resumes

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Thursday that it had partially resumed food assistance to parts of Goma, which fell to M23 rebels three weeks ago.

But as fighting between M23 and national troops continues, the UN aid agency expressed alarm at “soaring hunger” caused by people fleeing displacement camps.

In North Kivu, WFP has reached 9,000 people with emergency food assistance out of a target of 83,000. “Security must improve for WFP to reach tens of thousands more of the most vulnerable populations at risk,” it stressed.

Where possible, the UN agency is delivering vital nutrition supplies to treat moderate acute malnutrition in children aged six to 59 months, amid surging staple food prices that have made it increasingly difficult for families to eat.

Prices rise along with insecurity

The price of maize flour has risen by nearly 67 per cent, salt is 43 per cent more expensive than before the crisis erupted and the cost of cooking oil has increased by up to 45 per cent, WFP said.

“Escalating violence is forcing more families to flee – and now they have no food, no security and nowhere safe to go,” said WFP spokesperson Shaza Mograby. “The desperation of affected communities continues to grow by the day.”

Humanitarians continue to struggle to reach the most vulnerable while major access routes remain blocked and Goma International airport remains closed.

“WFP’s priority is to resume operations fully as soon as it is safe to do so,” the UN agency insisted.

“The longer we are unable to give food and emergency assistance to families affected by the conflict, the greater and more dire their needs are,” said Peter Musoko, WFP’s Country Director and Representative in DRC.

“I do not want to see children and mothers sink deeper into hunger and severe malnutrition. We need the violence to stop so we can resume our humanitarian activities. The most vulnerable people in DRC cannot afford to be overlooked during this crisis.’

WFP plans to reach seven million of the most vulnerable women, men, and children in DR Congo with lifesaving food and nutrition assistance this year. It is working with other UN agencies, NGOs and Government partners to address immediate needs and prepare for a potential large-scale response once conditions allow.

A key part of this operation is the WFP-run UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) operation. It provides aid teams with critical access and logistical support for their work across the country but it urgently requires $33.1 million to avoid the suspension of operations by the end of March.

In recent weeks, the UNHAS fleet relocated to Kalemie in Tanganyika, establishing a new operational hub for eastern DRC.

So far this year, the air service has transported 2,464 passengers, including humanitarian workers relocated from Goma and Bukavu; it has also delivered 23 metric tons of essential light cargo across DR Congo. 

“The rapid and uninterrupted expansion of the conflict, particularly in South Kivu province, continues to inflict a heavy toll on the civilian population,” said UN humanitarian coordinator for DRC, Bruno Lemarquis. “The population can no longer continue to pay such a heavy price for a conflict that continues to spread and now threatens the stability of the entire region.”

The veteran aid official’s appeal came as yet more vulnerable people reportedly fled combat zones amid advancing and heavily armed Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. On Sunday the opposition fighters took control of Bukavu – the second major eastern DRC city to fall, in a matter of weeks.

“It is imperative to put an end to the confrontations” and resume dialogue, Mr. Lemarquis insisted, as he echoed concerns stressed by the UN Secretary-General that the continuing M23 offensive threatens regional stability.

For aid teams who remain committed to helping vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities impacted by the fighting, Mr. Lemarquis signalled that the most urgent priorities include reopening airports for humanitarian flights in Goma – capital of North Kivu and Kavumu in South Kivu, both now controlled by M23.

‘Tense’ situation in Bukavu

The security situation in Bukavu remains tense, according to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, which also reported that commercial boats have resumed services on Lake Kivu between Bukavu and Goma.

Humanitarian partners have also reported widespread looting in various part of Bukavu over the weekend, including a UN World Food Programme warehouse containing 7,000 tonnes of supplies.

“Several churches and collective centres in Bukavu are reportedly hosting displaced people,” OCHA noted in an update, adding that humanitarian assessment activities resumed on Tuesday “and will continue tomorrow as conditions permit”.

In addition to the urgent need for humanitarian supply flights, the UN aid coordinator urged respect for international law regarding the rights of internally displaced people (IDPs). Just last week, relief agencies expressed concern at a 72-hour ultimatum issued by M23 representatives to IDPs in Goma who were told to go back to their villages.

“Any return can only take place on a voluntary basis, under safe, dignified and sustainable conditions, in accordance with international principles,” Mr. Lemarquis explained.

Neutrality at core of mission

The UN aid coordinator also insisted that relief teams’ “sole mission” was to provide vital assistance and protection to the most vulnerable, “wherever they may be…This action is guided by the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, humanity, and independence, without taking sides or engaging in political considerations.”

The DRC emergency is one of the most complex humanitarian crises in the world; it follows decades of clashes between the Congolese armed forces and various non-State armed groups, widespread human rights violations and sexual violence.

Humanitarian needs are staggering and not just in eastern DRC, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, which noted that seven million people within the country are displaced and more than one million have sought asylum beyond the country’s borders.

Most of these refugees are hosted by Angola, Burundi, the Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia. At the same time, the DRC – a country seven times the size of Germany – also hosts more than half a million refugees and asylum-seekers.

This latest crisis in DRC’s east has already uprooted hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people in a matter of weeks. Between 10 and 15,000 people have now crossed into neighbouring Burundi in a matter of days.

“UNHCR urgently calls for increased support to assist refugees and prevent further suffering,” it said in an online appeal. “We also urge an immediate end to hostilities in eastern DRC to prevent more displacement and civilian harm.”

“Palestinians will need joint action to address the immense recovery and reconstruction challenges ahead. A sustainable recovery process must restore hope, dignity, and livelihoods for the two million people in Gaza,” said Muhannad Hadi, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The assessment estimates that $29.9 billion is required to repair physical infrastructure, while $19.1 billion is needed to address economic and social losses.

Housing remains the most severely affected sector, accounting for the largest share of recovery needs, with $15.2 billion – or 30 percent of the total cost – earmarked for rebuilding homes.

Over the next three years alone, $20 billion will be required to stabilise essential services and lay the foundation for long-term recovery.

Commitment to Gaza’s future 

Mr. Hadi reaffirmed the UN’s continued support, stating: “The UN stands ready to support the Palestinian people both on humanitarian assistance and a future recovery and reconstruction process.”

“Once conditions are in place, temporary shelters will be established, basic services restored, the economy kick-started, and individual and social rehabilitation begun while the longer-term recovery and reconstruction advances,” he added.

A crucial element of Gaza’s recovery will be restoring the administrative authority of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the Strip.

“The international community must make collective efforts to support a just and lasting peace,” said Mr. Hadi, emphasising that Gaza is an integral part of this effort based on UN resolutions and international law, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.

UN condemns raid on UNRWA schools 

In East Jerusalem, Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), reported that Israeli forces accompanied by local authorities forcibly entered the UNRWA Kalandia Training Centre, ordering its immediate evacuation.

At least 350 students and 30 staff were present at the time. Tear gas and sound bombs were deployed during the incident.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, Israeli police officers, accompanied by municipal staff, also visited several UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem, demanding their closure.

The incidents disrupted the education of approximately 250 students attending three UNRWA schools, alongside the 350 trainees affected at the Kalandia Training Centre.

UN chief condemns violations

UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the breach of the UN’s inviolable premises in occupied East Jerusalem, including the attempt to forcibly enter three UNRWA schools.

“The use of tear gas and sound bombs in educational environments while students are learning is both unnecessary and unacceptable,” said the Secretary-General Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

“This is a clear violation of Israel’s obligations under international law, including obligations concerning the privileges and immunities of the UN and its personnel,” he added.

Mr. Dujarric emphasised that Israel’s internal legal provisions do not alter its international legal obligations and cannot justify their breach.

Lebanon: Tensions ease along the Blue Line of separation

In northern Lebanon, Tuesday marked the deadline for the Israel Defense Forces’ withdrawal south of the Blue Line, alongside the parallel deployment of Lebanese Armed Forces to positions in southern Lebanon, under the cessation of hostilities agreement reached between Israel and Hezbollah leaders on 26 November 2024.

UN peacekeepers report that Lebanese troops continue their deployment across southern Lebanon with active support from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), while displaced families are gradually returning to their homes.

Lebanese troops continue to dispose of “unauthorised weapons” abandoned during the conflict in UNIFIL’s area of operations, said Mr. Dujarric.

Call for stability

UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz, Force Commander of UNIFIL urged both parties to honour ceasefire commitments to ensure communities in southern Lebanon and northern Israel can feel safe again following the weeks of deadly fighting last year.

The UN remains committed to supporting all parties in upholding their obligations, Mr. Dujarric affirmed.

In an online message on Monday, the WFP said that it “condemns the pillage of its warehouses in Bukavu in South Kivu…the food supplies kept there were meant to provide vital support to the most vulnerable families who now face a growing humanitarian crisis”.

Looters made off with 7,000 tonnes of humanitarian food supplies, the UN agency said, adding that as violence spreads and access to food becomes increasingly difficult, “WFP stands ready to resume essential food aid to the most vulnerable as soon as it is safe to do so”.

The UN agency also urged all parties to the conflict “to respect their obligations vis-à-vis international humanitarian law”, which includes the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers.

The development came as M23 fighters made continuing gains in eastern DRC, after taking control of Goma – capital of North Kivu province – at the end of January. Hostilities have continued in this mineral-rich region for decades amid a proliferation of armed groups, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.

Aid routes blocked

In an alert, the top UN aid official in the country, Bruno Lemarquis, warned last Thursday that a shortage of humanitarian routes was threatening the aid operation in the mineral-rich region.

Before the M23’s latest offensive at the beginning of the year, Mr. Lemarquis recalled that the humanitarian situation in South Kivu was already dire.

Roughly 1.65 million people, or just over 20 per cent of the province’s population, had been displaced for a wide range of reasons.

On Saturday, the UN Secretary-General warned of the potential for the conflict to spark a regional war, before calling for “African diplomacy to solve the problem”.

Speaking on the sidelines of the African Union Summit, António Guterres told journalists that it was “time to silence the guns, it’s time for diplomacy and dialogue. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC must be respected.”

MONUSCO, the international UN peacekeeping force in DRC, will continue to provide support, the UN chief continued, although he cautioned that “a peacekeeping force can’t solve the problem because there is no peace to keep”.

He insisted, on the other hand that the conflict “will be solved if there is an effective African unit and African diplomacy to solve the problem”.

Mr. Guterres pointed to the crucial importance of efforts such as the recently held joint summit by the South African Development Community in Tanzania, which resulted in a clear pathway for an immediate ceasefire. 

330,000 additional children out of school

Fierce conflict since the start of the year has forced more than 2,500 schools and learning spaces in North Kivu and South Kivu to close, the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, said on Monday.

With schools shuttered, damaged or destroyed or turned into shelters, 795,000 children are now being deprived of education – up from 465,000 in December 2024.

“This is a desperate situation for children,” said Jean Francois Basse, UNICEF’s acting Representative in DR Congo. “Education – and the support systems it provides – is what children need to retain a sense of normalcy and to recover and rebuild after this conflict.”    

UNICEF is supporting the continuity of education in eastern DRC by working with partners to set up temporary learning spaces and distribute school materials, while exploring radio-based education to reach the most children.

As part of its overall humanitarian appeal, UNICEF is seeking $52 million to meet the urgent educational needs of a staggering 480,000 children lacking access across the vast African nation.

“Civilians [are] paying the highest price, shelling, airstrikes [are] continuing unabated, killing and injuring civilians, damaging and destroying critical infrastructure, including hospitals,” said Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher.

“An epidemic of sexual violence rages,” he warned, adding that children are being killed and injured, amid reports of intensifying fighting in South Kordofan in recent weeks – “another state in which famine conditions have recently been confirmed”.

Speaking in Geneva, Mr. Fletcher explained that the UN 2025 humanitarian and refugee response plans for Sudan aim to assist nearly 26 million people inside the country and across the region who face a desperate situation.

After nearly two years of conflict, a staggering 12 million people in Sudan and across borders have been displaced.

The UN aid chief said that he welcomed a conversation just days ago with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan – leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces – “about the importance of keeping Adre crossing open [from Chad]. But this is a fraction of what is needed and each movement only happens after complex engagement and bureaucratic processes,” he stressed.

Famine conditions

According to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), famine has been confirmed in more than 10 locations in Sudan; another 17 are on the brink of famine. 

The situation is a “collective failure that shames the global community”, WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain told the Geneva meeting via video link. 

“This is a full-scale hunger crisis and I’m going to call it a catastrophe”, Ms. McCain continued. “The civil war has killed thousands, uprooted millions and set the country ablaze, and yet it’s forgotten,” despite being “the epicentre of the world’s largest and most severe hunger crisis ever”.

Highlighting the fact that Sudan is also the world’s biggest displacement emergency, UN refugee agency chief (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, condemned the continuing “military logic” of the rival armies that have waged war against each other since April 2023.

“The logic is, let’s achieve victory, let’s make advances, let’s progress militarily,” he said, referring to the Sudanese Armed Forces – led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan – and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, under Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

Suffering and neglect

“The logic continues to neglect the situation of ordinary Sudanese that are killed, displaced and suffer all sorts of hardship.”

Echoing Mr. Fletcher’s observation that it might be difficult to understand why the UN and its partners were issuing such a large appeal for funding at a time of deep cuts to overseas aid by UN Member States, the UN refugee agency chief explained that needs were immense, with one in three Sudanese uprooted by the violence.

“Social systems, health systems, education – kids haven’t gone to school, almost 13 million people are displaced,” he said.

“The country is being destroyed; at its foundations, everything is collapsing,” Mr. Grandi insisted, in an appeal to the international community to “step up and help”, not just to ensure that emergency aid and life-saving protection can continue without disruption, but also to end the violence and restore peace to Sudan.”

Age-old conflict dangers

Across Sudan, women and girls continue to suffer through appalling patterns of conflict-related sexual violence,” and young men have been forcibly recruited to fight, Mr. Fletcher noted. “The collapse of the education system has compounded the risks faced by Sudanese girls: child marriage, gender-based violence.”

Although access “remains heavily constrained, particularly where the fighting is most acute”, the UN relief chief insisted that the appeal offered “a lifeline to millions” once the fighting stops, as he appealed for better access “by land, sea and air to those who need help”.

WFP chief Ms. McCain explained that millions of civilians had lost their livelihoods while humanitarians struggled to reach those in need because of access restrictions.

Agricultural production has also been decimated, driving up prices by 500 per cent in some areas, resulting in millions of displaced who have no access basic food staples.

Nearly 16 million reached in 2024

With $1.8 billion in support last year, humanitarian organizations reached more than 15.6 million people across Sudan. Assistance included food and livelihoods support for more than 13 million people as well as water, sanitation and hygiene support, health and nutrition, and shelter assistance.   

Humanitarian organizations working in neighbouring countries provided lifesaving assistance delivering food to over a million people, medical support to half a million and protection services to over 800,000.

For its part, WFP reached more than eight million people with lifesaving aid in 2024 but continues to face widespread access constraints caused by the fighting.

Famine conditions have been reported in at least five locations in Sudan including displacement camps in Darfur and in the western Nuba Mountains, according to a joint press release from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, and UNHCR.

“Catastrophic hunger is expected to worsen by May when the lean season begins. With continued fighting and basic services having collapsed across most of the country, the crisis is set to get worse,” it noted.

Rape as weapon of war

Shaza Ahmed, Executive Director of Nada El Azhar – who is a gender based violence (GBV) coordinator in Sudan – said that “women and girls paid a hefty price, as GBV is used as a weapon of war”, compounding a lack of access to health services, education and employment.

In 2024, more than 50,000 of the most vulnerable women and girls received dignity kids and over 225,000 people received GBV-services such as mental health or psychological support.

Among the biggest challenges now are protection of female staff and access to communities as well as the overall funding crisis.

OCHA cited Gaza’s Ministry of Health which stressed that oxygen supplies are critically needed to keep emergency, surgical and intensive care services running at hospitals, including Al Shifa and Al Rantisi hospitals in Gaza City. 

“Health partners are engaging with the authorities to bring in generators, spare parts and equipment required to produce oxygen locally in Gaza,” the agency said. 

Shelter and education

Over the weekend, humanitarian partners working in the shelter sector distributed tarpaulins to more than 11,000 families in the north. 

In Khan Younis, some 450 families are receiving sealing-off kits to create short-term shelters, kitchen sets and hygiene kits at the displacement site of Al Mawasi.  

Educational activities also continue to expand, and more than 250,000 children have enrolled in distance learning programmes run by the UN Palestine refugee agency, UNRWA.

Some 95 per cent of school buildings across Gaza were damaged over the past 15 months of hostilities, according to UN partners working in the education sector. Students are currently attending classes in makeshift tents and open spaces, amid winter temperatures.  

West Bank hostilities

OCHA also reported on the situation in the West Bank, where casualties continue to be reported due to the ongoing operations by Israeli forces in Tulkarm and Jenin.          

“These are the most extensive Israeli operations in the West Bank in two decades, causing high casualties and significant displacement, especially in refugee camps,” the agency noted.

Critical infrastructure has also been severely damaged, driving humanitarian needs even higher.

OCHA once again warned that the use of lethal, war-like tactics during these operations raises concerns over the use of force that exceeds law enforcement standards. 

Settler attacks against Palestinians and their properties also continue to be reported across the West Bank. Israeli settlers attacked residents in several villages in Nablus governorate over the weekend – in one instance, setting a house on fire. 

Humanitarians are mobilizing resources to support affected communities, OCHA said.

Averting UNRWA collapse

The head of UNRWA warned on Monday that if the agency collapses it will create a vacuum in the occupied Palestinian territory and send shockwaves through neighbouring countries.

Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini was speaking in Cairo at the Fourth Meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.

He said Israeli legislation targeting UNRWA’s operations is now being implemented.

Last October, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, adopted two bills banning UNRWA from working in Israeli territory and enforcing a no-contact policy between national authorities and agency representatives. The laws took effect in January.

Threat to peace and stability 

Mr. Lazzarini warned against allowing UNRWA to “implode” due to the Knesset legislation and the suspension of funding by key donors. 

“An environment in which children are deprived of education, and people lack access to basic services, is fertile ground for exploitation and extremism” he said.  “This is a threat to peace and stability in the region and beyond.”

He said that alternatively, UNRWA could progressively conclude its mandate within the framework of a political process like that championed by the Global Alliance.

“The agency would gradually transition its public-like services to empowered and prepared Palestinian institutions. This is the future for which we are preparing,” he said.