Latest news with #OCHA
Times of Oman
5 hours ago
- Business
- Times of Oman
UN warns of deepening crisis in Afghanistan amid major aid shortfall
Kabul: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that an unprecedented funding shortfall is worsening the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, leaving millions vulnerable to hunger, poverty, and displacement. In its latest report, OCHA stated that for the 2024 fiscal year, only 53% of the $3.06 billion required for the Humanitarian Response Plan has been secured, leaving a gap of approximately $1.43 billion. The agency urged the international community to step up its support and warned that humanitarian efforts could collapse without swift intervention. OCHA's appeal comes amid growing distress on the ground. A young man in Kabul, Hussain Agha Haidari, described how a lack of employment has forced him to shine shoes for the past four years. "We tried hard to find a job, we knocked on many doors. When nothing worked out, we had no choice but to become cobblers. We earn 100 to 150 Afghanis a day, just enough to bring bread home in the evening," Haidari said. He added that he has not received any aid from any organization and called on officials to help him secure permanent work. According to OCHA, approximately 14.9 million people in Afghanistan -- about 67% of aid recipients -- have received food assistance, while 41% have received aid across multiple sectors. The agency emphasised that without adequate funding, it would be unable to continue its operations at the necessary scale. The Ministry of Economy has echoed these concerns, especially in light of the mass return of Afghan refugees from neighboring countries. "OCHA's report is being released at a time when Afghanistan is facing a large wave of returnees. We urge international organizations to accelerate and prioritize their assistance more than ever before," said Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy. Meanwhile, economic analysts have raised concerns about the long-term impact of humanitarian aid without sustainable development investments. "These are short-term aid efforts aimed at immediate relief. As we've mentioned before, to truly eliminate poverty in Afghanistan, this assistance must be invested strategically, in agriculture, infrastructure, and long-term development programs," said Mohammad Asif Stanekzai, an economic analyst. OCHA has reiterated its call for urgent international action to fill the funding gap, cautioning that the lack of resources could lead to a significant deterioration in humanitarian conditions across Afghanistan.
Zawya
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Zawya
Scores killed in Sudan's Kordofan region as fighting intensifies
Amid ongoing communication disruptions in the area, confirming the exact civilian death toll remains difficult, but reports indicate that at least 300 people – including children and pregnant women – were killed in attacks on villages in Bara locality, North Kordofan State, between 10 and 13 July. During the same period, a series of attacks – including an air strike on a school sheltering displaced families – reportedly killed more than 20 people, in the villages of Al Fula and Abu Zabad in West Kordofan State. OCHA is also alarmed by reports of renewed shelling in Al Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, 'deepening fears and insecurity among civilians,' the humanitarian coordination agency reported. Tragic civilian toll With thousands of people reportedly killed since the beginning of the conflict between former military allies-turned rivals over two years ago, the crisis in Sudan continues to take a devastating toll on civilians. 'These incidents are yet another tragic reminder of the relentless toll the conflict is taking on civilians across Sudan,' OCHA reported. The office emphasises that civilians and civilian infrastructures – including schools, homes, shelters and humanitarian assets – must never be targeted, and called on all parties to the conflict to 'fully respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.' Toll from displacement Described as 'the largest as well as the fastest growing displacement crisis globally,' by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in February 2025, displacement continues amid the fighting. People fleeing North Kordofan, as well as El Fasher in North Darfur State, continue to seek shelter in the rest of Sudan, including Northern State, with humanitarian partners on the ground reporting more than 3,000 displaced people arriving in the locality of Ad-Dabbah since June. Although some have received food assistance, the steady influx of newly displaced families is putting additional strain on already stretched resources. With the rainy season approaching, OCHA warned that further hardship is likely, particularly as heavy rain and strong winds destroyed shelters and food supplies for about 2,700 displaced people in eastern Sudan this past Sunday. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.
Fox News
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Israel slams UN for ignoring aid already in Gaza while demanding more
Israel is calling out international organizations and the United Nations for allegedly leaving pallets of aid uncollected while decrying the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. "Right now, there are thousands of pallets of humanitarian aid already inside Gaza, waiting to be picked up and distributed from the crossings by U.N. agencies and international organizations. Instead of publishing statements about 'Gaza needing more aid' or 'trucks waiting to enter,' aid can be collected and distributed to the civilian population," the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), an Israeli government agency, wrote on X. In response to a Fox News Digital request for comment on COGAT's statement, U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Spokesperson Eri Kaneko said the "restrictive operational environment" in Gaza has been making it more difficult to deliver humanitarian services. "Throughout this war, we have been clear that without meaningful safety, security or unimpeded access, large-scale humanitarian operations are impossible," Kaneko told Fox News Digital. "Planned UN missions to deliver aid and services continue to face significant access challenges, with many either denied outright or obstructed due to unpredictable and lengthy coordination procedures." Meanwhile, the GHF joined Israel in its criticisms of the U.N.'s handling of aid to Gaza. "No one is limiting the U.N.'s ability to deliver aid—certainly not GHF. In fact, GHF successfully pushed for the U.N.'s reauthorization to operate after Israel reopened access to Gaza," a GHF spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "The real problem is not access. It's execution. The U.N. currently has thousands of pallets of aid inside Gaza awaiting distribution because their trucks are consistently looted, hijacked, or overrun by Hamas, armed gangs, or desperate civilians. This is why over 400 U.N. distribution sites sit empty." COGAT's Tuesday statement comes shortly after U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher pushed a statement co-signed by his office declaring that "the fuel shortage in Gaza has reached critical levels." "For the first time in 130 days, a small amount of fuel entered Gaza this week. This is a welcome development, but it is a small fraction of what is needed each day to keep daily life and critical aid operations running," the statement signed by several U.N. agencies read. In response, COGAT slammed Fletcher, saying that he was either unaware of the work his staff has done on the ground or was "spreading lies." "Fuel has been entering Gaza for over a week now for essential humanitarian needs, with your coordination. So, either get updated or stop spreading lies," COGAT wrote. The U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has faced harsh criticism from the international community, even as the organization has surpassed 76 million meals distributed in the Strip. "Each delivery reflects the bravery and dedication of our aid workers, who are operating in some of the world's toughest humanitarian conditions," GHF Interim Executive Director John Acree said in a statement on X. COGAT did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment in time for publication.
AsiaOne
21 hours ago
- Health
- AsiaOne
Gazans' daily struggle for water after deadly strike, Asia News
GAZA CITY — The al-Manasra family rarely get enough water for both drinking and washing after their daily trudge to a Gaza distribution point like the one where eight people were killed on Sunday (July 13) in a strike that Israel's military said had missed its target. Living in a tent camp by the ruins of a smashed concrete building in Gaza City, the family say their children are already suffering from diarrhoea and skin maladies and from the lack of clean water, and they fear worse to come. "There's no water, our children have been infected with scabies, there are no hospitals to go to and no medications," said Akram Manasra, 51. He had set off on Monday for a local water tap with three of his daughters, each of them carrying two heavy plastic containers in Gaza's blazing summer heat, but they only managed to fill two — barely enough for the family of 10. Gaza's lack of clean water after 21 months of war and four months of Israeli blockade is already having "devastating impacts on public health" the United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA said in a report this month. For people queueing at a water distribution point on Sunday it was fatal. A missile that Israel said had targeted militants but malfunctioned hit a queue of people waiting to collect water at the Nuseirat refugee camp. Israel's blockade of fuel along with the difficulty in accessing wells and desalination plants in zones controlled by the Israeli military is severely constraining water, sanitation and hygiene services according to OCHA. Fuel shortages have also hit waste and sewage services, risking more contamination of the tiny, crowded territory's dwindling water supply, and diseases causing diarrhoea and jaundice are spreading among people crammed into shelters and weakened by hunger. "If electricity was allowed to desalination plants the problem of a lethal lack of water, which is what's becoming the situation now in Gaza, would be changed within 24 hours," said James Elder, the spokesperson for the UN's children's agency Unicef. "What possible reason can there be for denying of a legitimate amount of water that a family needs?" he added. COGAT, the Israeli military aid coordination agency, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last week, an Israeli military official said that Israel was allowing sufficient fuel into Gaza but that its distribution around the enclave was not under Israel's purview. Thirsty and dirty For the Manasra family, like others in Gaza, the daily toil of finding water is exhausting and often fruitless. Inside their tent the family tries to maintain hygiene by sweeping. But there is no water for proper cleaning and sometimes they are unable to wash dishes from their meagre meals for several days at a time. Manasra sat in the tent and showed how one of his young daughters had angry red marks across her back from what he said a doctor had told them was a skin infection caused by the lack of clean water. They maintain a strict regimen of water use by priority. After pouring their two containers of water from the distribution point into a broken plastic water butt by their tent, they use it to clean themselves from the tap, using their hands to spoon it over their heads and bodies. Water that runs off into the basin underneath is then used for dishes and after that — now grey and dirty — for clothes. "How is this going to be enough for 10 people? For the showering, washing, dish washing, and the washing of the covers. It's been three months we haven't washed the covers, and the weather is hot," Manasra said. His wife, Umm Khaled, sat washing clothes in a tiny puddle of water at the bottom of a bucket — all that was left after the more urgent requirements of drinking and cooking. "My daughter was very sick from the heat rash and the scabies. I went to several doctors for her and they prescribed many medications. Two of my children yesterday, one had diarrhoea and vomiting and the other had fever and infections from the dirty water," she said. [[nid:720147]]
Zawya
a day ago
- Climate
- Zawya
Sudan: Humanitarian needs deepen amid rising hostilities and heavy rains
Nearly 27 months have passed since fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and a former ally, the paramilitary Rapid Security Forces (RSF), creating an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. The UN voiced grave alarm over escalating hostilities in El Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur state. Serious risk of renewed violence Large numbers of RSF fighters reportedly entered the city on Friday for the first time since the siege began over a year ago. Local sources report that recent fierce fighting, particularly in the southwest and east of El Fasher, has led to civilian casualties. 'The situation remains highly volatile and unpredictable, with a serious risk of renewed violence, as well as further displacement and disruption of humanitarian operations – which are already under severe strain,' OCHA said. Insecurity in North Kordofan state Meanwhile, in North Kordofan State, growing insecurity forced 3,400 people to flee their homes over the weekend, according to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM). Local reports indicate that at least 18 civilians were killed, and homes were burned in several villages. OCHA reminded all parties that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international humanitarian law, and that civilians must be protected at all times. Rainy season constraints Meanwhile, heavy rains have been reported in West and Central Darfur states, which may affect road conditions in some locations and worsen the challenges humanitarians are already facing in accessing people in need. 'With the rainy season continuing through October, the risk of floods, access constraints and disease outbreaks is growing – especially during this critical lean season, a time between harvests when food stocks traditionally run low,' OCHA warned. Families return to West Darfur The agency said that despite the crisis, signs of small-scale returns are visible in West Darfur state, where displaced families have been returning from Chad to three localities – Sirba, Jebel Moon and Kulbus – to cultivate their farms. Furthermore, local authorities report about 40 people returning daily to Kulbus, with 300 arriving over the past week. OCHA urged all parties to enable safe and unimpeded access to all people in need across Sudan, and for donors to step up their support. Some 30 million people nationwide – more than half the population – need vital aid and protection this year. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations (UN).
