Lebanon
OCHA says Israeli air strikes continue to kill, injure and displace civilians in Lebanon on a devastating scale.
Today, Beirut’s southern suburbs experienced massive strikes just minutes after more than 20 displacement orders were issued.
A densely populated area in central Beirut was also targeted by air strikes today with no prior warning. These attacks have caused further casualties, damage and displacement, as many people had previously sought safety in this part of the capital. While casualty figures are still being confirmed, residents in the area remain in a state of constant panic and fear.
Intense strikes also persist in eastern and southern Lebanon.
Once again, OCHA stresses that all parties to the conflict must take all necessary precautions to protect civilians, including those seeking refuge in their homes or in temporary shelters.
As of 24 November, the International Organization for Migration recorded nearly 900,000 displaced people within Lebanon since October 2023.
The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that many people affected by the conflict face significant challenges in securing shelter. They urgently need adequate housing and essential items to stay safe and warm as the winter months approach.
Together with the Lebanese Government and other partners, WFP has reached more than 640,000 people with food or cash assistance this year, including about 500,000 people since 23 September.
UNICEF, in collaboration with health authorities, has deployed mobile health units to provide urgent medical care and immunizations to displaced families and children. Since 23 September 2024, more than 240,000 people have been reached.
Occupied Palestinian Territory
OCHA reports that none of the UN’s 41 attempts to reach Palestinians in besieged areas of North Gaza with life-saving assistance this month has been facilitated by Israeli authorities.
Of those 41 attempts, UN requests to go ahead with 37 humanitarian missions were denied. The other four missions were approved but then impeded on the ground – and therefore only partially accomplished.
Parts of North Gaza have been under siege for more than 50 days now. Jabalya, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun have been largely cut off from humanitarian aid for weeks, as fierce hostilities continue.
Civilians there remain under intense bombardment and in desperate need. OCHA stresses that under international humanitarian law, they must be protected, and the essential requirements for their survival must be met whether they stay or flee.
Families from North Gaza who have sought safety and shelter in Gaza city are also facing critical shortages of supplies and services, as well as severe overcrowding and poor hygiene conditions.
As winter sets in, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians living in makeshift shelters are even more vulnerable*. Amid colder temperatures, heavy rains and rising sea tides, more sewage is building up in areas packed with people, putting their health in jeopardy as diseases spread. These factors also raise the risk that damaged buildings – where many families have sought shelter – could collapse.
Just yesterday, heavy rains affected 7,000 families living in makeshift shelters along the coast in Gaza, according to initial assessments by OCHA and humanitarian partners. Thousands of tents were flooded, and people’s belongings and shelters were damaged.
UNICEF reports that there are 2,500 plastic sheets and tarpaulins at the Kerem Shalom crossing, but security concerns continue to challenge efforts to bring these supplies into Gaza. The agency is working to pull these tarps out of Kerem Shalom this week so that they can be distributed.
All humanitarians in Gaza are facing an extremely difficult situation due to the lack of security and armed looting, which is why the UN has consistently asked for more entry points in Gaza, as well as more routes to distribute within the Strip.
UNICEF is also working to bring in an additional 60,000 tarps that are currently located in Jordan, which involves securing the necessary approvals and an entry point to bring them in safely.
OCHA underscores once again that Israel, as the occupying power in Gaza, bears the primary responsibility for restoring public order and safety through lawful means, which must be a top priority. This could take different forms; among them would be allowing civilian police in Gaza to operate, in accordance with law enforcement standards.
Sudan
OCHA reports the UN and partners are doing everything possible in Sudan to reach the most vulnerable people wherever they are.
WFP reports that another convoy is on its way to Zamzam camp in North Darfur, where famine was confirmed nearly four months ago. Late last week, WFP trucks delivered a first round of supplies to Zamzam, after entering Sudan via the Adre border crossing.
This second convoy bound for Zamzam has been on the road from Port Sudan for two weeks, having already travelled 1,400 kilometres across rough terrain, dozens of armed checkpoints, and conflict lines. It’s now 300 kilometres away from Zamzam. The last part of this dangerous and long journey is the most risky and unsafe.
Families at Zamzam have been resorting to extreme measures to survive because food is so scarce. They are eating crushed peanut shells that are typically used to feed animals, and across the camp, parents are mourning the deaths of their malnourished children.
Meanwhile, another WFP convoy has been on its way to Kadugli and Dilling in South Kordofan from Port Sudan for two weeks. It will be departing Kosti in White Nile in the coming days for the final leg of its journey to locations in South Kordofan that have received little or no assistance since the start of the war 19 months ago.
The UN Population Fund has sent additional reproductive health and protection supplies to Kassala and Gedaref, where people fleeing the fighting in Aj Jazirah State have been arriving. These supplies will support safe births and the clinical management of rape and are sufficient to meet the needs of 240,000 women and girls for three months.
Cuba
UN teams in Cuba continue delivering life-saving assistance and supporting the Government’s response efforts one month after Hurricanes Oscar and Rafael – as well as two earthquakes – struck the eastern and western part of the country. Last week 19 November, the UN Resident Coordinator in Cuba, Francisco Pichon, led a UN delegation to hurricane-affected areas in the west of the country to hear first-hand accounts from those affected and assess the situation.
The UN Country Team published an updated Plan of Action on Friday, 22 November. The plan, which was initially launched in response to Hurricane Oscar to guide response efforts, now covers the additional impacts of Hurricane Rafael and the earthquakes.
The plan seeks US$78.3 million to meet the most urgent needs of some 930,000 people and support early recovery efforts.
Earlier today, OCHA briefed Member States on the situation and response in Cuba and appealed for stepped-up support and funding for the plan.
Last week, an additional $6 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund was allocated to support the hurricane response. OCHA is also releasing a second emergency cash grant of $100,000 for immediate supplies.
