© WPP/X. Rutherford Nearly a million West Bank residents currently face food insecurity. Top news of the day | Wednesday: Iran, Ukraine, Sudan, West Bank UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: exchange of attacks between the United States and Iran, new casualties among the civilian population of Ukraine, attack on food trucks in Sudan, deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the West Bank.
Exchange of blows between the USA and Iran
The UN Secretary-General expressed deep concern about the sharp deterioration of the situation in the Persian Gulf after new exchanges of blows between the United States and Iran. According to the UN, civilians were among the dead and wounded, including participants in a wedding ceremony in Iran. António Guterres strongly condemned attacks on civilians and reminded parties of the need to strictly comply with international humanitarian law. The Secretary General called on the United States and Iran to return to diplomacy, emphasizing that a lasting, comprehensive settlement is only possible through dialogue and negotiations.
New civilian casualties in Ukraine
Officials from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported from Ukraine that attacks across the country over the past two days have resulted in significant civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. Large cities located far from the front line, including Kyiv and Odessa, came under fire. A missile strike damaged the warehouses and transport of an NGO in the Sumy region, and a drone strike disabled the evacuation bus of another local NGO in the Donetsk region. airstrike last weekend. The UN World Food Program announced this today. The trucks were carrying 50 tons of food – grains, split yellow peas, vegetable oil and salt. These supplies would be enough to provide life-saving assistance to 5,800 people for a month. The vehicles were clearly marked with UN agency logos and flags.
Humanitarian Situation in the West Bank
Due to severe funding shortfalls, the UN World Food Program is forced to halve aid to families in the West Bank. This comes against the backdrop of rapidly growing humanitarian needs: they have more than doubled over the past two years. The massive increase in food insecurity was a direct result of escalating settler violence, Israeli military operations, as well as home demolitions, severe restrictions on movement and mass displacement of residents. Nearly a million West Bank residents—more than a quarter of the total population—are currently experiencing food insecurity.