Humanitarian Organizations

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that the humanitarian consequences of the escalation in the Middle East are worsening by the day. Civilians are increasingly at risk, and essential infrastructure is being disrupted across the region. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warns that what began as a regional conflict is increasingly becoming a driver of global instability.

The third High Level Conference on the Lake Chad Region has concluded Tuesday with reaffirmed commitments from Lake Chad Basin countries and international partners for a coordinated, regional and sustainable response, supported by humanitarian and development organizations. More than US$500 million (€458 million) in aid has been pledged to support joint actions at the local level.

As Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory continue, more and more civilians are being killed, injured and displaced. More than 2,100 people have died and more than 10,000 have been wounded in fighting in Lebanon over the past year, including hundreds of women and children. Most of them since September 23 this year. While an estimated 1.2 million people are internally displaced, more than 400,000 Lebanese and Syrians have reportedly fled to Syria.

The European Union (EU) announced on Friday €63 million (US$75 million) in humanitarian aid to help millions affected by the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, as well as nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees living in neighboring countries, primarily Bangladesh. The European Commission’s allocation comes as the crisis sparked by the military coup in Myanmar enters its sixth year.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip is the worst it has been since the war began in October 2023. Atrocities continue on a massive scale, and the limited amount of aid entering Gaza falls far short of what is needed to support the more than two million starving civilians following 80 days of a total Israeli blockade of all commercial and humanitarian supplies.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned on Friday that more than 340,000 people have been forced to flee their homes amid continued hostilities and growing insecurity in Yemen, while restrictions on key transport routes threaten to further disrupt the delivery of life-saving assistance. According to the latest data, more than 24,000 people have been displaced in less than a week.

The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), Tom Fletcher, called on the Israeli government Wednesday to open all crossings into Gaza without delay, so humanitarian organizations can implement their winter response plan and address the growing emergency. Fletcher also demanded an end to collective punishment and urged funding for the humanitarian plan to stop what he described as "predictable, preventable suffering."

The United Nations, together with the Government of Lebanon, on Tuesday launched a US$371.4 million extension of the Lebanon Flash Appeal to provide life-saving assistance to civilians affected by the recent conflict and the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The appeal targets one million Lebanese, Syrians, Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Palestinian refugees from Syria, and migrants for an additional three months.

Briefing the United Nations Security Council on Monday, Mohamed Yahya, the UN deputy relief chief, warned that continued attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure are leaving millions without reliable access to electricity, water, and heating. Yahya condemned all attacks affecting civilians, essential civilian infrastructure, and humanitarian workers. He stressed that civilians and civilian objects must be protected wherever they are.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that, despite a reduction in hostilities, the humanitarian situation in Lebanon remains fragile. Ongoing military activity continues to endanger civilians, impede the safe return of displaced people, and prolong humanitarian needs. Israeli military airstrikes, demolitions and localized military operations in the south and Nabatieh governorates are still being reported.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns of a sharp decline in the humanitarian situation in El Fasher, the besieged capital of Sudan’s North Darfur State. OCHA reports that civilians in El Fasher continue to endure relentless attacks, acute hunger, and cholera. The population faces daily threats from shelling, airstrikes, and drone attacks — with fierce clashes reported in north-eastern districts of the state capital in recent weeks.

With hostilities in Myanmar escalating, sparked by a military coup in 2021, and millions of people plunged into a deepening humanitarian crisis, UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday urged the country's neighbors to "leverage their influence" to achieve peace and a political solution. Meanwhile, an estimated 1 million people in Myanmar are also suffering from the effects of recent deadly floods.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), humanitarian operations in Niger are currently on hold following the attempted coup in the country. The United Nations, the United States, the West African economic bloc ECOWAS, the African Union and the European Union have called for the release of Niger’s president, Mohamed Bazoum, after a group of soldiers claimed to have removed him from power Wednesday. President Bazoum has urged democratic forces in the country to resist the power grab.

United Nations relief chief Tom Fletcher warned the UN Security Council on Tuesday that the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is rapidly accelerating, with over half of the population facing acute hunger and needing immediate international support. Briefing the 15-member Council, Fletcher stressed that without urgent intervention, "hunger will deepen. Suffering will grow. More lives will be lost."

The United Nations says the security situation in Haiti continues to deteriorate, as gang violence is growing and major crimes reach record levels. Briefing the UN Security Council (SC) Monday, the UN special envoy to the country, María Isabel Salvador, also stressed the enormous significance of SC resolution 2699, adopted earlier this month, authorizing the establishment and deployment of a Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission.

According to the latest findings by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), there have been notable improvements in food security and nutrition in the Gaza Strip following the ceasefire in October and a significant reduction in conflict. Yet, the situation remains critical. In August, the IPC Famine Review Committee (FRC) had confirmed a human-made famine in the Gaza governorate, where over half a million people were experiencing famine.

Since December 2024, more than 3.8 million Syrians have voluntarily returned home after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government, marking the largest wave of returns in Syria in decades. However, millions of people remain displaced, and insecurity, explosive remnants of war, rising costs, and severe humanitarian funding gaps continue to threaten the country's fragile recovery.