© VPP/S. Cuevas Gallardo Women and children at a health center in Burkahab, Somalia. Top news of the day | Friday: Ukraine, Ebola, West Bank, Somalia UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: as a result of the strike on Krivoy Rog, dozens of people were killed and injured, the risk of cross-border spread of Ebola is growing, attacks on Palestinians continue in the West Bank, the number of children with acute malnutrition is growing in Somalia.
Strike on Krivoy Rog
UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine Matthias Schmale condemned the strike by Russian forces on a shopping center in the center of Krivoy Rog. According to preliminary data, at least 14 people were killed and more than 100 were injured, including several children. Shmale noted that in recent weeks, attacks on several densely populated cities in Ukraine have destroyed or damaged residential buildings, a hospital, a school, markets and public transport. He recalled that international law prohibits indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian objects.
Ebola Outbreak
The risk of further spread of the Ebola outbreak has increased with the confirmation of cases in provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo bordering the Central African Republic (CAR). UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher has committed $3 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to support efforts to prevent the spread of Ebola in the Central African Republic. These funds will strengthen epidemiological surveillance, expand capacity for case isolation, enhance engagement with local communities and improve access to clean water.
Situation in the West Bank
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) continues to monitor the situation around the West Bank village of Qusra, where three Palestinian families have been They have been virtually unable to leave their home for weeks: they are surrounded by Israeli forces and settlers. UN humanitarian workers are in contact with local authorities and are ready to provide the necessary support. Meanwhile, violence continues in other areas of the West Bank. OCHA has confirmed that 22 Palestinians have been killed in settler attacks since the start of the year.
Famine in Somalia
A global crisis in humanitarian funding is taking a growing toll on the most vulnerable children in Somalia, where hundreds of health and food facilities have been forced to close. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned about this on Friday. In the first six months of this year, the number of children admitted to specialized centers with severe acute malnutrition and complications increased by 32 percent compared to the same period last year.