Latest news with #OCHA
News24
5 hours ago
- Politics
- News24
Gaza seen from above: debris and darkness
The Gaza Strip, largely deprived of electricity by Israel since the start of the war, appears seven times less bright at night than before October 7, 2023, according to AFP analysis of NASA satellite data. Compared to the five months preceding the conflict, satellite images between January and May this year show a territory plunged into darkness. From above, the nighttime brightness of Gaza City has reduced by a factor of 16 in the intervening period. - One power plant - In 2022, the Palestinian territory was supplied with electricity for an average of 12 hours per day, according to statistics from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). This figure drops to zero for 2024. The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 60,034 people, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Israel imposed tight restrictions on the Gaza Strip from the very first days of the war, including on fuel. Due to lack of fuel, Gaza's sole power plant stopped functioning early in the conflict, and power lines coming from Israel have been cut. These two sources combined accounted for 43 percent of Gaza's electricity demand in 2022, with the rest left unmet. - As dark as a desert - AFP analysed NASA's Black Marble project, which measures ground radiance -- the power of the luminous radiation emitted for a given surface area -- almost daily. It allows measurements of this radiance at 2,100 different points within the Palestinian territory, spaced 500 metres apart. This data shows a sharp drop in radiance between October 10 and October 11, 2023, the shutdown date of Gaza's sole power plant. Some parts of the territory that were populated areas before the war are now as dimly lit as neighbouring desert regions like the Sinai Peninsula. Only certain locations, such as hospitals equipped with generators, are identifiable at night in Black Marble's data. For example the European Hospital is 70 percent more visible between January and May 2025 than the rest of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza. One area where nighttime lighting in Gaza has remained consistent is the Philadelphi Corridor, a strip of land along the border between Gaza and Egypt, controlled by the Israeli military. And at its southeast end, the Kerem Shalom crossing, used by humanitarian aid trucks, is the only area brighter today than it was before the start of the war.
Al Arabiya
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Satellite images reveal Gaza plunged into darkness as power grid collapses amid Israel war
The Gaza Strip, largely deprived of electricity by Israel since the start of the war, appears seven times less bright at night than before October 7, 2023, according to AFP analysis of NASA satellite data. Compared to the five months preceding the conflict, satellite images between January and May this year show a territory plunged into darkness. From above, the nighttime brightness of Gaza City has reduced by a factor of 16 in the intervening period. One power plant In 2022, the Palestinian territory was supplied with electricity for an average of 12 hours per day, according to statistics from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). This figure drops to zero for 2024. The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 60,034 people, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Israel imposed tight restrictions on the Gaza Strip from the very first days of the war, including on fuel. Due to lack of fuel, Gaza's sole power plant stopped functioning early in the conflict, and power lines coming from Israel have been cut. These two sources combined accounted for 43 percent of Gaza's electricity demand in 2022, with the rest left unmet. As dark as a desert AFP analyzed NASA's Black Marble project, which measures ground radiance -- the power of the luminous radiation emitted for a given surface area -- almost daily. It allows measurements of this radiance at 2,100 different points within the Palestinian territory, spaced 500 meters apart. This data shows a sharp drop in radiance between October 10 and October 11, 2023, the shutdown date of Gaza's sole power plant. Some parts of the territory that were populated areas before the war are now as dimly lit as neighboring desert regions like the Sinai Peninsula. Only certain locations, such as hospitals equipped with generators, are identifiable at night in Black Marble's data. For example the European Hospital is 70 percent more visible between January and May 2025 than the rest of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza. One area where nighttime lighting in Gaza has remained consistent is the Philadelphi Corridor, a strip of land along the border between Gaza and Egypt, controlled by the Israeli military. And at its southeast end, the Kerem Shalom crossing, used by humanitarian aid trucks, is the only area brighter today than it was before the start of the war.
DW
5 hours ago
- Climate
- DW
Nigeria: Flash floods leave dozens dead in Adamawa state – DW – 07/29/2025
The flooding began in the Yola area, 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.
DW
18 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
a day 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.
