Ethiopia

The World Food Programme (WFP) warned today that nearly 55 million people in West and Central Africa will struggle to feed themselves during the next lean season — which is from June to August. This is an increase of 4 million in the number of food-insecure people as compared to the previous forecast published in late 2023.

In Ethiopia, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator has allocated $17 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to address worsening food insecurity in the country. The new funding reflects the Organization’s deep concern over the impact of a new El Niño-driven drought that is impacting Ethiopia.

In Ethiopia, the World Food Programme (WFP) today said that it is scaling up its operations to deliver food assistance to up to 3 million people in the country in the coming weeks; 2 million of those are in Tigray.

The massive humanitarian needs of over 2 million people in Gaza risk deepening, and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will likely be forced to close operations by the end of the month if donor funding remains suspended, UNRWA Head Philippe Lazzarini warned today.

In the Republic of Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that more than 520,000 people need life-saving assistance following severe floods in country. A joint UN-Government assessment found that nine of the country’s 12 departments are now impacted, since the floods started in October.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that ongoing attacks and hostilities across Ukraine in recent days have led to further deaths, damage and destruction of civilian infrastructure.

In Gaza, the humanitarian pause has enabled a major increase in aid delivery, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports. UN agencies have sent lifesaving medicines and surgical supplies to two hospitals in Gaza City — Al Ahli and Al Sahaba — and enough fuel to operate generators for about seven days.

The UN Secretariat has received a letter from the Sudanese Government announcing its decision to immediately terminate the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan. The Government also communicated its commitment to engage constructively with the Security Council and the Secretariat on a new formula.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has begun rolling out food distributions to nearly 900,000 refugees in Ethiopia following a full revamp of the safeguards and controls at its refugee operations, with refugee camps across five regions receiving food parcels for the first time since WFP paused food distributions in June.

In Haiti, amid intensifying violence, Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, called for urgent action to be taken on the UN Secretary-General’s appeal for a non-United Nations multinational force to support the Haitian police in addressing the grave security situation and restoring the rule of law.