Tens of thousands of civilians remain in Tyre amid strikes, displacement orders
In Lebanon, OCHA warns that the humanitarian situation is deteriorating in Tyre, in the South Governorate, and surrounding areas amid repeated displacement orders and continued strikes.
Many civilians – including residents of Tyre, people living in Palestinian refugee camps, and people displaced from other parts of southern Lebanon – remain in the area.
The displacement order issued by the IDF today for the entire city of Tyre, including all neighbourhoods and Palestinian refugee camps, will affect nearly 44,000 people, many of whom were already displaced.
Despite these orders and the associated risks, initial reports from local authorities and partners indicate that most families will remain in Tyre, with many staying due to limited alternatives. Some have reportedly sought shelter further north in the city of Saida and the district of Chouf in the Mount Lebanon Governorate.
No major population movements have been observed today from the Palestinian refugee camps, although about 10,000 people had sought refuge in UN Relief and Works Agency shelters in the district of Saida and north Lebanon after a previous displacement order for Tyre some 10 days ago.
Meanwhile, attacks continue to affect healthcare. Yesterday, an airstrike near a Lebanese Red Cross centre in Tyre reportedly killed five people and injured eight others, including four paramedics.
According to the Ministry of Public Health, at least nine people have been killed and more than 28 injured in strikes today targeting the densely populated Al Masaken neighborhood in Tyre city.
The UN reiterates the urgent need to protect civilians, ensure safe and sustained humanitarian access, and respect international humanitarian law.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Lebanon with urgent support.
Vital crossing re-opens but red tape, limited funding curtail humanitarian response
Israeli authorities re-opened the Kerem Shalom crossing, which remains the only crossing point for approved cargo to enter Gaza.
The UN and its humanitarian partners continue to respond to people’s needs despite bureaucratic hurdles and funding shortfalls, to maintain the response and reach as many vulnerable people as possible.
In the past week alone, partners provided families with tents, tarpaulins, bedding, kitchen kits and clothing. Partners also carried out emergency repairs on makeshift shelters and rehabilitated partially damaged homes.
Despite these efforts, needs remain immense. Tens of thousands of families are living in overcrowded shelters, while many others continue to sleep outdoors or in damaged buildings. As temperatures rise, tents and makeshift shelters trap heat, making them uninhabitable during the day. Partners stress that they need more supplies, calling for the entry of sandbags, timber, plywood, gravel, cement and tool kits, among other critical supplies.
Partners report that families are finding it increasingly difficult to access food, including bread, following the closure of many kitchens.
By the end of May, 23 partners were delivering some 678,000 meals daily through 80 kitchens. This is a sharp decline from mid-March, when 170 kitchens were providing 1.5 million meals per day. Funding constraints are increasingly limiting humanitarian response.
Armed group attacks risk further spread of Ebola
OCHA warns that an expanding Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is unfolding against a backdrop of escalating violence and mass displacement in the east of the country, putting civilians at further risk and complicating efforts to contain the disease.
In the province of North Kivu, a series of attacks by armed groups between 30 May and 6 June reportedly killed at least 40 civilians in the town of Beni, according to local authorities. These attacks are hampering humanitarian access, including the Ebola response.
Meanwhile, in the province of South Kivu, nearly 15,000 people have been uprooted by recent clashes and sought refuge in Miti-Murhesa health zone. This area currently accounts for all confirmed Ebola cases in the province, raising concerns over disease transmission and people’s access to assistance. Displaced families need urgent humanitarian assistance, as additional pressure is being placed on host communities.
Partners warn that insecurity, displacement and the movement of people are hampering disease surveillance, contact tracing and case management, increasing the risk of further spread.
On 7 June, health authorities reported 35 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to 550 across Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. To date, 19 patients have recovered.
The UN reiterates its call to all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and to ensure safe, sustained and unhindered humanitarian access.
The UN and its humanitarian partners remain committed to supporting the authorities-led response. However, sustained access and a secure operating environment are needed so humanitarian workers can carry out their life-saving efforts and help contain the Ebola outbreak.
Vital aid routes damaged as drone attacks continue
OCHA warns that escalating attacks on bridges, roads and other critical civilian infrastructure are disrupting humanitarian access and putting civilians at further risk in Sudan.
In West Darfur State, explosions last night reportedly struck the Ardamata bridge linking the city of El Geneina to areas near the border with Chad. This is a vital route for commercial traffic and humanitarian supplies entering Darfur.
In South Kordofan State, two key bridges along the road between the cities of Kadugli and Dilling were reportedly destroyed over the weekend, disrupting the movement of civilians and aid operations as the rainy season begins. Humanitarian partners warn there will be no viable alternative routes once seasonal rains intensify.
Meanwhile, humanitarian movements along a key road linking West and Central Darfur states were suspended yesterday due to insecurity following rising intercommunal tensions. The road is a key artery for transporting humanitarian assistance from Chad into Darfur and Kordofan.
Drone activity is also affecting several parts of the country. Multiple strikes were reported yesterday in the town of Dilling, in South Kordofan State. Today, a drone was reportedly shot down in Omdurman, in Khartoum State.
OCHA reiterates its call on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and to facilitate rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Sudan with urgent support.
Civilian suffering in Ukraine become the new normal, UN relief wing tells Security Council
Indrika Ratwatte, the acting Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefed the Security Council yesterday afternoon on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.
He stressed that the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate amid escalating hostilities, noting that recent attacks on urban areas, including Kyiv and Dnipro, have caused rising civilian casualties, damage to homes and essential services, and growing risks for humanitarian workers, with millions of people in urgent need of assistance.
Ratwatte underscored that “civilians and civilian objects, including humanitarian personnel and assets, must be protected,” as ongoing strikes on populated areas and damage to civilian infrastructure deepen human suffering. Attacks are increasingly disrupting humanitarian operations, he said, leaving communities more isolated and cutting off access to life-saving services at a time when needs are intensifying.
Ratwatte called on the Council to take three urgent steps: use its influence to reverse the erosion of civilian protection; help safeguard and expand humanitarian access to reach people in need wherever they are; and ensure sufficient funding for the response. He emphasised that with 10.8 million people requiring assistance, “for communities in need, funding is the difference between help reaching them or not.”
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