At Security Council, OCHA calls for sustained aid delivery, funding for Afghanistan
Addressing the Security Council today on Afghanistan, Edem Wosornu, Director of the Crisis Response Division for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), stressed that the country remains one of the world’s largest and most complex humanitarian crises, with nearly half the population in need of assistance. She highlighted that insecurity, economic fragility and climate shocks are disproportionately affecting women and girls.
Wosornu warned that “activities supporting women and girls continue to be disproportionately affected by de facto authority restrictions,” severely constraining humanitarian operations. She pointed to “the closure of women’s spaces, reports of harassment and arrests linked to dress codes, and the continued ban on Afghan women entering UN premises,” alongside broader bureaucratic obstacles that continue to slow the delivery of aid.
Wosornu noted that “women and girls already face severe barriers in Afghanistan. They cannot attend school after the age of 12, they have limited opportunities for employment, and they face restricted access to basic services. When women humanitarian workers are allowed to do their jobs, more women and girls can get the support they need. When they are pushed out, their needs too often go unmet.”
She underscored that Afghans should not lose access to life‑saving assistance because of the de facto authority.
Wosornu called on the Council to sustain principled humanitarian aid through full support for resolution 2615, to press for the protection of civilians and unimpeded access, including for women humanitarian workers, and to urgently increase flexible and predictable funding to prevent further cuts to critical programmes amid rising needs. She warned that the response is already being severely constrained by underfunding: of the US$1.71 billion required this year to reach 17.5 million people, just 15 per cent has been received.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Afghanistan with urgent support.
New displacement orders push families into greater uncertainty
Hostilities and displacement orders continue to claim lives and drive people from their homes in Lebanon.
An airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs yesterday reportedly killed two and injured 20 people, including women and children, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Airstrikes have been reported over the weekend and today across multiple locations in South and Nabatieh governorates and in the district of West Bekaa.
Five collective shelters hosting displaced families in South Governorate had to be evacuated this weekend due to displacement orders issued by the Israeli army. Local authorities in the south of the country and in Beirut report that collective shelters are at full capacity.
Since last Friday, IDF displacement orders have been issued for 17 villages across the governorates of South, Nabatieh and Bekaa, including two localities included in displacement orders for the first time since the renewed escalation began in early March.
The scale and uncertainty of these displacement orders make them almost impossible to comply with safely, bringing into question their effectiveness, a requirement under international humanitarian law.
Following the launch of last week’s additional Flash Appeal, which called for an additional $331.5 million to help 1.4 million people, OCHA reports that, without immediate funding, the humanitarian response could be disrupted as early as 1 July.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Lebanon with urgent support.
Closure of all crossings hinders flow of life-saving aid
Following missile attacks towards Israel since last night, the Israeli authorities closed Kerem Shalom crossing today – the only crossing into Gaza that had been operational for cargo over the past two weeks.
However, humanitarians were allowed to collect cargo from the Palestinian side of the crossing. Israeli authorities also closed Rafah Crossing.
OCHA stresses that people in the Gaza Strip rely on a steady flow of humanitarian and commercial goods from outside.
The UN and its humanitarian partners work hard to maintain a sustained and predictable flow of supplies despite restrictions. Such efforts cannot be sustained if crossings remain closed.
Against this backdrop, civilians and civilian infrastructure continue to be exposed to Israeli airstrikes, shelling and gunfire, resulting in reported casualties and damage.
Under international humanitarian law, civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected.
In the West Bank, OCHA warns of risks from debris from the interception of missiles, as seen during previous regional escalations.
Meanwhile, violence affecting Palestinians across the West Bank persists. Last Friday, Israeli forces shot and killed a seven‑month‑old Palestinian baby in Hebron city and injured both parents when their vehicle came under fire as it approached an Israeli patrol. Israeli authorities have indicated the incident will be investigated.
In Nablus, Israeli forces raided Balata refugee camp yesterday, arresting one Palestinian. Clashes with residents during the operation resulted in injuries and tear gas exposure.
Raids, search-and-arrest operations and other operations by Israeli forces have become a regular occurrence, with more than 20 raids or other operations on average each day across the West Bank during the five first months of 2026. This has resulted in casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure.
Palestinians in the West Bank must be protected, as required by law, and perpetrators of violations must be held accountable.
UN supports Ebola response as cases climb
OCHA reports that the UN and its partners continue to support authorities in responding to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Yesterday, the Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim, Damien Mama, arrived in the town of Bunia, in Ituri province, for a three-day visit to assess the response and strengthen coordination in support of the Government-led efforts.
The Ebola health response is focusing on case management, the operation treatment centres, the delivery of essential medicines and supplies, as well as community engagement, risk communication and strengthened surveillance.
However, response efforts continue to face significant challenges, including gaps in contact tracing, limited treatment capacity and shortages of essential medicines. Scaling up laboratory capacity is also critical to ensure timely detection and confirmation of cases.
OCHA continues to support the response, facilitate humanitarian access and strengthen community engagement to help contain the outbreak.
On 6 June, health authorities reported 27 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to 515 across the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. Ituri remains the epicentre, accounting for approximately 95 per cent of cases. To date, 12 patients have recovered.
The outbreak is unfolding in an already severe humanitarian crisis. Nearly 15 million people across the DRC need humanitarian assistance, while more than half of all displaced people, or 3.4 million, are living in areas affected by the outbreak, complicating our efforts to respond.
Strong earthquake kills 19, injures more than 130
In the Philippines, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sarangani Province in the country’s south today, claiming at least 19 lives, with 12 people missing and more than 130 others injured, according to the authorities.
There has reportedly been extensive damage to homes, Government buildings, hospitals and schools. Power and telecommunications outages have also been reported, while damage to roads and bridges is limiting humanitarian access to some communities.
OCHA commends the swift response of authorities and is working closely with the Government and our partners to assess the impact of the earthquake.
The UN stands in solidarity with all those affected during this difficult time and remains ready to support the response and recovery efforts.
Indiscriminate attacks place humanitarians in line of fire
OCHA reports that intensified hostilities and attacks along the front line continue to kill and injure civilians, as well as damage critical civilian infrastructure across Ukraine.
Authorities reported that between Friday and the early hours of today, at least 33 civilians were killed and 221 were injured, including children.
The most affected areas were the regions of Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Other regions impacted by the hostilities included Sumy, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa, Chernihiv and Mykolaiv.
Attacks damaged homes, civilian vehicles, petrol stations, educational facilities, postal service vehicles, energy infrastructure and port facilities.
OCHA is also concerned by a series of incidents affecting humanitarian organizations in Kherson over the weekend. Several humanitarian vehicles came under attack, injuring aid workers and volunteers and damaging clearly marked humanitarian assets.
These incidents highlight the growing risks faced by both civilians and humanitarian personnel operating in front-line areas.
This afternoon, at 3 pm, Indrika Ratwatte, the acting Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, will brief the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.
Rainy seasons, clashes hinder already fragile response
OCHA reports that despite funding shortfalls, access constraints, and insecurity, the UN, NGOs, and local partners continue to deliver life-saving assistance across Sudan.
In North Darfur State, some 610,000 people have received food aid in Tawila locality, while in Sennar State, a nutrition campaign supported by UNICEF recently reached nearly 340,000 people, mostly children who received Vitamin A supplementation.
In White Nile State, cash assistance continues to be distributed to some 340,000 people across camps in Al Jabalein and As Salam localities. The World Food Programme and its partners hope to reach 340,000 South Sudanese refugees with vouchers, while UNICEF and its partners continue to provide safe drinking water to about 15,500 people in the localities of Kosti, Tendalti and Al Jabalein.
At the same time, humanitarian partners warn that conditions are worsening as the rainy season begins. Severe gaps in water and sanitation are affecting an estimated 1.1 million people in South Darfur, increasing the risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases. Local responders continue to work to address disease outbreaks in several states.
Meanwhile, OCHA remains alarmed by continued drone strikes and insecurity affecting civilians and humanitarian access. Recent attacks across the Kordofan region reportedly killed at least 15 civilians, injured many others and damaged civilian infrastructure, including a key bridge in South Kordofan vital for civilian movement and aid delivery.
OCHA is also concerned by intercommunal violence in Darfur. Recent clashes in South Darfur State displaced an estimated 13,500 people and reportedly left at least 16 people dead.
OCHA once again calls on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and to facilitate rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access. Additional funding remains critical to deliver life-saving assistance to millions of people in need across Sudan.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Sudan with urgent support.
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