A fragile ceasefire is still in place in Gaza. Top news of the day | Wednesday: Ukraine, Gaza, DRC, US foreign aid UN
Top news in the UN and the world: new shelling of Ukraine, return of population to northern Gaza, situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, US aid in the fight against AIDS.
Ukraine: New Attacks and Shelling
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Wednesday that attacks in Ukraine between January 24 and today have caused civilian casualties, damaging more than 100 homes, a school, a gas pipeline and port facilities. Many frontline communities have limited access to electricity, heating and water. Attacks on energy infrastructure have left people suffering from the cold. Humanitarian agencies continue to provide assistance to victims when security conditions allow. According to OCHA, 53 aid workers have been killed or injured in Ukraine in 2024.
Return of residents to northern Gaza
UN agencies delivered six tankers of fuel to northern Gaza on Wednesday to support bakeries, water and sanitation services. Displaced Palestinian families continue to return to their homes in the northern part of the Strip. The UN estimates that some 430,000 people have returned to the north since the opening of roads from the south. Aid workers stationed along these roads continue to assist those on the move. The aid includes food, water and hygiene kits. UNICEF distributes identification bracelets for children to help families stay in touch while on the move.
DRC situation
The city of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was “relatively calm” on Wednesday, but aid agencies warned that the chaos caused by the rebel advance could lead to a health emergency across the region. Militants from the armed group M23 appear to control large parts of Goma, and the city has no internet service and mobile phone service continues to be disrupted. Aid workers are unable to move freely around Goma to help those in need. UNICEF asked donors on Wednesday for an additional $22 million to provide emergency assistance to 282,000 children in the east of the country.
Unfreezing US aid to AIDS programs
Amid the freezing of American foreign aid programs, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has approved emergency measures that will allow people in 55 countries to continue receiving treatment for HIV infection with financial support from the United States. Currently, about 20 million people are receiving treatment under the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) welcomed the waiver from the US government and called on President Donald Trump to continue to prioritize the eradication of AIDS from the world.