Latest news with #OCHA
DW
3 hours ago
- Climate
- DW
Floods kill at least 23 people in northeastern Nigeria – DW – 07/29/2025
The flooding began in the Yola area of Adamawa state, displacing 5,560 people so far, according to authorities. At least 11 others remain missing. Flash floods in Nigeria's Adamawa state have killed at least 23 people and left thousands homeless, the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA) said Tuesday, adding that 11 other people are still missing. The flooding, which began on Sunday in five communities in the Yola area of the state, has so far displaced 5,560 people, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). A camp for those uprooted has been set up at Aliyu Musdafa College in Yola, and basic materials have been provided, NEMA said. "The presence of both governmental and non-governmental partners have been significant, contributing to the effective management of the humanitarian situation," NEMA said in a statement. Dozens of people were injured as several neighborhoods in Yola, capital of the northeastern state, were submerged on Sunday, the United Nations humanitarian affairs agency OCHA said, before warning citizens "of further rainfall and urging residents in flood-prone areas to move to higher ground." Heavy rains tend to hit Nigeria between June and November, triggering floods where weak infrastructure and poor drainage often exacerbate the problem across Africa's most populous country. More than 200 people have been killed in floods in Nigeria since the start of the rainy season in May this year. Most of those who perished were in the north-central Niger state. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In 2024, more than 300 people were killed and over a million displaced in at least 34 out of the country's 36 states, making it one of Nigeria's worst flood seasons in decades, according to OCHA. Meteorologists have warned of more floods across Nigeria this rainy season. Scientists have said that climate change is fueling many of these extreme weather occurrences.
Zawya
16 hours ago
- Health
- Zawya
Sudan: United Nation (UN) sounds the alarm as health and food crises worsen across the country
As conflict between rival militaries rages on, millions of people keep on being displaced. While the UN and its partners continue to provide assistance to newly displaced families in North Darfur, 'nearly 60 per cent of displaced families still lack adequate shelter support,' said Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Farhan Haq, at a daily press briefing on Monday. In Abu Shouk camp in El Fasher, the North Darfur capital, displaced families are facing acute shortages of food and medicine, with local sources reporting four hunger-related deaths last week, as food insecurity continues to worsen across the entire country. In North Darfur state notably, low cereal supply, poor harvests and a prolonged food deficit have severely affected food availability. Health crisis Meanwhile, cholera cases continue to rise in Tawila. More than 1,500 suspected and confirmed serious infections have been reported since June, with over 500 people currently receiving treatment. While local authorities have introduced emergency measures, including market closures and a ban on public gatherings, humanitarian organizations urgently require $120 million to scale up life-saving support in Tawila over the next three months. 'This funding is essential to contain the outbreak and sustain critical services,' according to OCHA. Meanwhile, in Port Sudan, the main entry point for humanitarian personnel and supplies, a sharp increase in heatstroke cases linked to extreme temperature and prolonged power outages is raising concerns, as one death was recorded over the past two days. Food crisis In El Fasher, food prices continue to rise to alarming levels. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has already identified famine conditions in multiple areas of North Darfur and the eastern Nuba Mountains, with more locations at risk. In May, the average cost of the local food basket in El Fasher was more than six times the national average, as the city recorded the highest prices for nearly all essential items among assessed localities. An IPC alert earlier this month noted that Sudan's food security and nutrition situation is set to further deteriorate over the lean season from July to October, notably in areas of active conflict with limited access and experiencing high levels of displacement. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.
New York Post
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Post
What to know about Israel's claim that UN has tons of food in Gaza that it won't distribute
Israel is blaming the UN for the lack of vital food deliveries to Gaza — as harrowing video captured hundreds of desperate Palestinians swarming aid trucks over the weekend. Israel officials are hitting back at claims that they have have delayed aid from coming into Gaza — sharing images of tons of aid piled up inside the Gaza Strip, which they said is just waiting to be delivered to hungry Palestinians. Col. Abdullah Halabi, from the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), told reporters last week that around 1,000 truckloads of aid remain undelivered 'due to a lack of cooperation from the international community and international organizations.' Advertisement But, a former US aid official called Israel's claims 'disingenuous — knowingly false.' The UN has for months accused Israel of refusing to coordinate with aid workers to get food and medicine to Gazans — making it too dangerous to widely distribute aid. 4 A war of words has broken out between the UN and Israel over aid deliveries to Gaza. Getty Images Former Israeli spokesman Eylon Levy ultimately accused the UN of 'unforgivable negligence' in its actions preventing food from reaching Gaza. Advertisement 'The failure of the UN aid mechanism in Gaza is truly catastrophic. 600 trucks' worth of food the IDF is urging the UN to pick up. I saw mountains of pasta, lentils, hummus, cooking oil, sugar, and flour,' he wrote on X, accompanying a video of him walking among aid supplies. 4 The UN warns all 2 million Gaza residents are at risk of starvation. REUTERS For its part, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said trucks traversing Gaza have to contend with traveling though an active war zone, along with hoards of desperate people rushing to get the supplies, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Advertisement Criminal gangs have also previously attempted to ransack the vehicles as they enter the Strip. 'Taken together, these factors have put people and humanitarian staff at grave risk and forced aid agencies on many occasions to pause the collection of cargo from crossings controlled by the Israeli authorities,' OCHA said in a statement last week. Grim video footage from Saturday, shot by a reporter on the ground, captured scores of people clamoring on top of two moving trucks in southern Gaza — just days after images of starving Palestinian children alarmed the world. As the trucks inched along, hundreds of people could be seen shoving each other as they tried to rush toward the vehicles, the clip shows. Advertisement The UN has also accused Israel of repeatedly rejecting requests to allow the trucks to enter Gaza, with Israel claiming it imposes no limits on the aid trucks seeking permission to enter. Since Israel lifted its aid blockade in late May, the US-funded non-profit the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has started to deliver aid — overseen by armed Israel Defense Forces soldiers. 4 The UN has accused Israel of failing to create a safe path for aid. Getty Images The group has come under fire for its handling of food deliveries, with humanitarian aid groups refusing to work with the GHF over the armed distribution points. The UN's human rights office said that 1,000 Palestinians have been killed trying to reach the GHF food distribution sites in recent weeks. A group of Democratic senators have since called on President Trump to suspend American financial support for the GHF, expressing 'grave' concerns. 'We urge you to immediately cease all U.S. funding for GHF and resume support for the existing UN-led aid coordination mechanisms with enhanced oversight to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches civilians in need,' they wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 4 Palestinians walks away with sacks of flour after humanitarian aid was allowed to enter northern Gaza on Sunday. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement The UN has also blamed the IDF for damaging roads in and out of Gaza and failing to guarantee safety for aid workers in the territory. 'It is disingenuous — knowingly false — for any party to assert that it is failure, lack of courage, or deliberate conspiratorial withholding of aid by the UN or international organizations that is responsible for the humanitarian suffering in Gaza,' David Satterfield, a former US humanitarian envoy in Gaza, told the Times of Israel. The UN warned of 'catastrophic hunger' in Gaza as it said all 2 million residents are severely food insecure in a statement on Sunday following Israel's pledge to implement daily pauses in the fighting to allow aid through. 'This is progress, but vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis,' Tom Fletcher from the OCHA said in a statement. Advertisement On Monday, Trump said there was 'real starvation' in Gaza. Just under 30 aid packages carrying food were airdropped over Gaza on Sunday, COGAT said in a statement. Israel has continued to blame Hamas for diverting aid from civilians throughout the war. Advertisement However, an internal US government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft of aid supplies by the group, according to the report presented to State Department officials, which the IDF branded 'biased.' The World Food Program said on Sunday it has enough food heading to the region to feed Gaza's entire population 'for almost three months,' but warned that a 'third of the population' is still 'not eating for days.'
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
Aid arrives in Syria's Suwayda as UN says humanitarian situation critical
A humanitarian aid convoy has reached Syria's Druze-majority Suwayda province as the United Nations warns that the humanitarian situation remains critical after last week's deadly clashes displaced thousands and left essential services in ruins. Clashes in Druze-majority Suwayda province, which began on July 13 and ended with a ceasefire a week later, initially involved Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin tribes, who have been fighting for decades. Later, government forces joined the fighting on the side of the Bedouin armed groups. State television reported on Monday that a Syrian Red Crescent convoy had entered Suwayda, showing images of trucks crossing into the region. State news agency SANA said the 27-truck convoy 'contains 200 tonnes of flour, 2,000 shelter kits, 1,000 food baskets' as well as medical and other food supplies. The effort was a cooperation between 'international organisations, the Syrian government and the local community'. UN warns of critical situation Although the ceasefire has largely held, the UN's humanitarian agency, OCHA, said that the humanitarian situation in Suwayda province 'remains critical amid ongoing instability and intermittent hostilities'. 'Humanitarian access, due to roadblocks, insecurity and other impediments … remains constrained, hampering the ability of humanitarians to assess need thoroughly and to provide critical life-saving assistance on a large scale,' OCHA said in a statement. It stated that the violence resulted in power and water outages, as well as shortages of food, medicine, and fuel. Local news outlet Suwayda24 reported that 'the humanitarian needs in Suwayda are dire', saying many more aid convoys were needed for the province. It said demonstrations demanding more humanitarian aid were held in several locations on Monday. On Sunday, Suwayda24 published a warning from local civil and humanitarian groups of a 'humanitarian catastrophe' in Suwayda, adding that the province 'is under a suffocating, escalating siege imposed by the authorities' that has led to a severe lack of basic supplies. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that government forces were deployed in parts of the province, but goods were unable to enter due to the ongoing closure of the Suwayda-Damascus highway, as government-affiliated armed groups were obstructing traffic. SANA quoted Suwayda's provincial Governor Mustafa al-Bakkur on Sunday as saying that aid convoys were entering Suwayda province normally and that 'the roads are unobstructed for the entry of relief organisations to the province'. Deadly clashes displaced thousands The clashes killed more than 250 people and threatened to unravel Syria's post-war transition. The violence also displaced 128,571 people, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration. During the clashes, government forces intervened on the side of the Bedouin, according to witnesses, experts and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor. Israel intervened and launched air attacks on Syria's Ministry of Defence buildings in the heart of Damascus. Israeli forces also hit Syrian government forces in Suwayda province, claiming it was protecting the Druze, whom it calls its 'brothers'. Russia, Turkiye call for respect of Syria's territorial integrity Following the Israeli attacks, Russia's President Vladimir Putin stressed the importance of Syria's territorial integrity in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Putin, an ally of former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, also said that political stability in the country must be achieved through respect for 'all ethnic and religious groups' interests', a Kremlin statement said. A senior Turkish official also called for sustained de-escalation and an end to Israeli military attacks in Syria, stressing the need to support Damascus's efforts to stabilise the war-torn country. 'From now on, it is important to ensure continued de-escalation and Israeli non-aggression, support for the Syrian government's efforts to restore calm in Suwayda and to prevent civilian casualties,' Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz told the UN Security Council during a meeting on Syria. 'Israel's disregard for law, order, and state sovereignty reached new heights with its recent attacks on the presidential complex and the Defence Ministry,' Yilmaz said. 'The situation has partially improved as a result of our collective efforts with the US and some other countries.'
L'Orient-Le Jour
a day ago
- General
- L'Orient-Le Jour
New aid convoy enters Sweida
A new humanitarian aid convoy reached southern Syria's Druze heartland on Monday, official media said, as the United Nations warned the humanitarian situation in Sweida province was critical after deadly violence. Clashes in Druze-majority Sweida province, which began on July 13 and ended with a cease-fire a week later, initially involved Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin tribes, who have been at loggerheads for decades. But government forces intervened on the side of the Bedouin, according to witnesses, experts and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, which said the violence killed more than 1,400 people, mostly Druze, and accused government personnel of summarily executing more than 250 Druze civilians. State television said Monday's Syrian Red Crescent convoy was the third of its kind to reach the province, publishing images of trucks crossing into the region. State news agency SANA said the 27-truck convoy "contains 200 tonnes of flour, 2,000 shelter kits, 1,000 food baskets" as well as medical and other food supplies. The effort was a cooperation between "international organisations, the Syrian government and the local community". Although the cease-fire has largely held, the U.N.'s humanitarian agency, OCHA, said Monday that the humanitarian situation in Sweida province "remains critical amid ongoing instability and intermittent hostilities". "Humanitarian access, due to roadblocks, insecurity and other impediments (...) remains constrained, hampering the ability of humanitarians to assess need thoroughly and to provide critical life-saving assistance on a large scale," OCHA said in a statement. It said the violence, which resulted in power and water outages and shortages of food, medicine and fuel, had displaced at least 176,000 people. An AFP photographer in Sweida city said residents were waiting in long lines outside bakeries that were still open. Local news outlet Sweida 24 reported that "the humanitarian needs in Sweida are dire", saying many more aid convoys were needed for the stricken province. On Sunday, the outlet published a warning from local civil and humanitarian groups of a "humanitarian catastrophe" in Sweida, adding that the province "is under a suffocating, escalating siege imposed by the authorities" that has led to a severe lack of basic supplies. The Observatory said Monday that government forces were deployed in parts of the province but said that goods were unable to enter due to the ongoing closure of the Sweida-Damascus highway as government-affiliated armed groups were obstructing traffic. On Sunday, SANA quoted Sweida provincial governor Mustafa al-Bakkur as saying that aid convoys were entering Sweida province normally and that "the roads are unobstructed for the entry of relief organisations to the province".
