A destroyed school in the Kherson region (photo from the archive). Top news of the day | Thursday: Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, potato day UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: the UN coordinator in Kherson, the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza has decreased, the situation in Sudanese El Fasher is worsening, International Potato Day.
Preparing for winter in Ukraine
UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine Denise Brown traveled to Kherson on Thursday, where she met with authorities and humanitarian partners to discuss winter preparations. In particular, as the region’s energy infrastructure has been severely damaged by ongoing impacts, it is important to take steps to ensure residents do not go without heat during the colder months. The attacks on the energy system across the country continue unabated, leading to widespread power outages.
Humanitarian situation in Gaza
Amid reports of fighting and bombing in the Gaza Strip, UN aid agencies have warned that the flow of aid into the enclave has fallen by more than two-thirds since the Israeli military stepped up its campaign in Rafah. The Israeli military said it had secured “tactical control” of the narrow 13-kilometer corridor between the Gaza Strip and Egypt and closed the Rafah border crossing, which served as a key entry point for food, water, fuel and medicine into Gaza. The sick and wounded were also transported through it for treatment. Eight months after the Israeli military operation began, Gaza’s entire population of 2.2 million is dependent on humanitarian aid, including food.
Combat in Sudan
In the city of El Fasher, fighting intensified between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Reaction Force. There are reports of civilian casualties and human rights violations, said UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan Clementine Nkweta-Salami. Many areas of El Fasher are left without electricity and water, and the population’s access to food and basic services is limited. The UN and partners continue to intensify efforts to respond to the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan. About 18 million people in the country are hungry, and five million are on the verge of famine.
Potato Day
May 30, the world celebrated for the first time International Potato Day, which is consumed as a staple food by approximately two-thirds of the world’s population. By 2030, total production of this crop is expected to reach 750 million tons, an increase of 112 percent. International Potato Day, established in December 2023, aims to raise awareness of the nutritional, economic, environmental and cultural value of potatoes.