Food aid in West Darfur, Sudan. Top news of the day | Friday: Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Uzbekistan UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: emergency aid in the frontline areas of Ukraine, preparation of a large-scale polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, opening of the Adre border crossing from Chad to Sudan for humanitarian operations, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to housing will visit Uzbekistan.
Humanitarian aid to Ukrainians
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported ongoing attacks in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson and Sumy regions of Ukraine, damaging homes, schools and energy infrastructure, as well as a government aid distribution point. Aid agencies are providing emergency humanitarian assistance to those affected, complementing the efforts of local authorities and emergency response services. In Sumy alone, the UN and partners have registered 1,800 evacuees for multi-purpose cash assistance since 6 August. In July, cash assistance was received by more than 10,000 people in the Donetsk and Sumy regions.
Vaccinations in Gaza
Polio is already circulating in Gaza, putting hundreds of thousands of children at risk of death, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York. Preventing and containing the spread of the disease, he stressed, will require a massive, coordinated and urgent effort. The United Nations therefore plans to launch a polio vaccination campaign in Gaza for more than 640,000 children under the age of 10 in late August.
Cross-border operations
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, welcomed the decision by the country’s authorities to reopen the Adre border crossing from Chad into Sudan’s Darfur. Since February, humanitarian organizations have been using an alternative route. Nkweta-Salami emphasized that delivering aid through the Adre crossing point is the most effective option for cross-border assistance. Meanwhile, almost 26 million people in Sudan are facing famine. However, donors have provided only 37 percent of the funds needed to help the Sudanese this year.
Housing in Uzbekistan
The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, Balakrishnan Rajagopal, will visit Uzbekistan from 19 to 30 August 2024. He will examine the protection and implementation of the right to housing in national legislation and practice, including the availability of housing, its affordability and suitability, as well as mechanisms for protection from forced evictions. On 30 August, the Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference in Tashkent following his visit, and in March 2025 he will present a report on Uzbekistan to the UN Human Rights Council.