UN Press Briefing: Gaza Humanitarian Crisis, Syria, Sudan, and Haiti

Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

• ⚠️ Humanitarian operations in Gaza are severely strained due to security risks, unreliable crossings, and delayed or blocked critical supplies.
• 💡 The UN is prepared to scale up operations with a ceasefire, but requires Israel to enable safe and unimpeded aid delivery, open all crossings, and restore key supply routes.
• 💔 The hunger crisis is dire, with mass starvation spreading and deadly malnutrition among children reaching catastrophic levels.
• 🏥 Hospitals are overwhelmed, facing shutdowns due to lack of fuel, with Al Shifa hospital at imminent risk.
• 🤰 Catastrophic birth outcomes are reported due to food deprivation, a shattered healthcare system, and immense psychological stress, with a sharp decline in births and a significant increase in maternal and newborn deaths.
• ♿ People with disabilities have no food, assistive devices, or healthcare, highlighting the need for measures to protect vulnerable populations.
• 🚧 Logistical challenges are immense, with Israeli authorities being the sole decision-makers on aid entry, requiring multiple approvals and facing risks of civilians being shot at.

Humanitarian Situation in Syria

• 🚚 A convoy carrying critical aid, including food, water, fuel, and medicines, reached Sueda today.
• 🔌 Humanitarian needs remain high in Sueda, with disruptions to electricity, water, fuel, and telecommunications, leading to bakery closures and market shortfalls.
• 🏠 Over 145,000 people have been displaced due to hostilities in Sueda, with ongoing efforts to deliver assistance to those displaced in neighboring areas.

Worsening Crisis in Sudan

• 🚨 Grave concern over the worsening humanitarian catastrophe and tightening access constraints, particularly in the Cordovan region.
• ⚔️ Hostilities escalate in South Cordovan state, with armed individuals attempting to seize food from markets; the city remains cut off from aid.
• 🌧️ Heavy rains and flooding in West Darfur State threaten aid delivery, making roads impassable and potentially cutting off access in other Darfur states.
• 💰 Community kitchens in Tawila, North Darfur, are vital lifelines but face chronic funding shortfalls and risk shutting down.
• 🚧 Humanitarian access is further complicated by checkpoints, taxes, roadblocks, and bureaucratic hurdles.

Dire Update from Haiti

• 📈 Escalating violence and displacement drive severe humanitarian needs, with over 217,000 children screened for acute malnutrition.
• 📚 Over 1,600 schools remain closed, leaving children vulnerable to exploitation and recruitment by gangs.
• 💰 Haiti remains the least funded of UN underfunded country appeals globally, with less than 9% of the required response funding received.

International Seabed Authority

• 🌊 The Secretary-General emphasized that the international seabed is the common heritage of humankind and holds great promise but requires caution.
• ⚖️ The International Seabed Authority is commended for navigating complex challenges with care and clarity to find balanced solutions.