With the continued displacement of Gaza’s population, the enclave’s catastrophic humanitarian situation is only getting worse. Top stories of the day | Monday: humanitarian aid, Gaza, Ukraine, Yemen UN
Top stories of the day in the UN and around the world: record number of victims of conflicts among humanitarian workers, worsening situation in Gaza, 1,940 attacks on Ukrainian healthcare facilities, UN Secretary General demands that the Houthis in Yemen release UN and NGO personnel.
World Humanitarian Day
On World Humanitarian Day, the UN and partners are demanding guarantees for the protection of their staff and all civilians. Last year, 280 humanitarian workers were killed in 33 countries, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. This is a record figure, OCHA emphasizes. In his message on the occasion of the World Humanitarian Day, UN Chief Antonio Guterres said that in a “climate of impunity,” those responsible for spreading misinformation about humanitarian organizations and violence against their staff do not fear consequences. “We demand that governments exert pressure on all parties to the conflicts to protect civilians,” he added.
Gaza evacuations
OCHA warns that the continuing displacement of Gaza’s population is only worsening the dire humanitarian situation in the enclave. An estimated 13,500 Palestinians were placed under another Israeli evacuation order on Saturday. OCHA said that ongoing fighting, repeated displacement and severe shortages of basic necessities have left families in dire circumstances. Since October, 86 percent of the Gaza Strip has been under evacuation orders.
Ukraine’s Healthcare System
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that since February 24, 2022, when Russia began its full-scale invasion, there have been 1,940 attacks on Ukrainian healthcare facilities. This is the highest number of such attacks that WHO has recorded in a humanitarian emergency. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, WHO distributed about 3,750 tons of medical supplies and equipment, including ambulances, medicines, and generators, to several regions of the country. The Ukrainian healthcare system continues to prove its resilience and remains functional in areas under government control, WHO notes.
The situation in Yemen
Antonio Guterres remains deeply concerned about the well-being of UN staff, as well as representatives of civil society, non-governmental organizations, diplomatic missions and the private sector, who have been arbitrarily detained in Yemen, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release. He also strongly condemned the recent seizure of the UN Human Rights Office building in Sana’a by the Houthis. According to the latest reports, the Houthis have returned the office to the UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator in the country today.